Crushed Hope
by Ink Stained Lily
Summary: This is my first story so please read and review. Nightwing wishes to pop a certain question to Starfire, but before he can something strange is happening to Starfire that makes her runaway from the Titans.
1. The Ring

Titans Tower gleamed in the early morning sunrise. All of the cities inhabitants slowly awoke to the transition from peaceful nighttime to bustling day. Our five heroes also began to awake and begin their morning routines.

The first two Titans to awake were Beastboy and Cyborg. Both were heading to the same destination and that was the kitchen. When they both the reach the kitchen it will only spark an argument over their opposing differences in taste. On this morning Beastboy will beat Cyborg to the kitchen and will be preparing his all tofu breakfast, and it will make Cyborg want to gag by the time he reaches the kitchen.

Raven will be the third to emerge from her dark cave of a room. Sluggishly she'll walk to the main room already anticipating the usual argument over meat vs. tofu. _"Just get some herbal tea, and zone the two idiots out." _She chanted inside her head. Nearing the main room she could already hear faint sounds of their argument. Raven sighed quietly debating whether to meditate for an hour before breakfast. A growl of protest from her stomach decided for her.

The only two titans that remain asleep were Nightwing and Starfire. Both were resting in Nightwing's bed, tired from their private nightly affairs. Starfire was cuddling into Nightwing's side while his strong arms held her closely. Each was unwilling to awake, only wanting to stay in this perfect sanctuary, but soon the former boy wonder awoke to the new day.

His eyes first open to look upon his beautiful alien love wrapped up in his embrace. He stroked her cherry red hair, savoring his last few moments with her. Her face was tranquil as she slept, and she had a slight smile on her lips. This observation filled Nightwing with the desire to touch her soft lips. He caressed her smile with his index finger feeling how smooth her lips felt. Suddenly they parted under his touch causing him to freeze in surprise.

Starfire groaned and turned away from Nightwing onto her other side, her eyes opening slowly. Nightwing placed a hand on her arm leaning onto her gently, and kissed her shoulder.

"Good morning Starfire."

Her gem like eyes opened wide at the sound of his voice. Starfire rolled back over and a smile dispersed across her face when Nightwing came into her view.

"Good morning Nightwing." She replied.

"How well did you sleep?" He asked.

"My slumber was pleasant, and you?"

"Just fine, with you by my side at night I hardly have anymore nightmares." He answered truthfully. Nightwing was glad Starfire and him were together, she eased his pain, but sadly he was never truly healed.

"How soon do we have to get up?" She asked slightly pouting at the thought of having to leave this perfect moment.

Nightwing glanced at the clock, and sighed in frustration at the time. _"Maybe it's going faster than usual today." _He thought hopefully. Grabbing his watch of his bedside table he checked the time, but it read the same as the clock.

"Unfortunately we have to get up now or else we won't be able to get ready for training?"

Starfire pouted. "You're the leader, couldn't you just reschedule training for a later." She pointed out hopefully.

"I'm pretty sure the others are starting to notice the sudden schedule changes Star." He answered smiling at the sound of reluctance in her voice.

"Very well, let's get up." As Starfire said this she got up to retrieve her dark blue robe from the floor, and at the same time Nightwing put on a pair of sweatpants. When they were both decent they walked to the door to say their quick farewells.

Before Starfire walked out the doorway Nightwing placed a finger under her chin and lifted her face to his lips. His other hand went to her lower back to press her closer to him. She responded by knotting her fingers in his ebony hair.

They were breathing quickly when they finally parted, and Starfire flew down to her room soon after that intense kiss. Nightwing watched her departure until she turned down the other hallway and was out of his sight.

Now that he was alone he locked his bedroom door from the outside, and went over to his bedside table. Nightwing opened the drawer, and began to rummage through it till he found the object of his search. Now in palm of his hand was a small velvet box. He opened it to reveal a golden ring with a round diamond resting on top. With a special inscription that read _My Shining Star. _

"I'll find the right time to ask you." Nightwing murmured silently to himself. As he gazed at the ring it filled him much hope for her response to his special question.


	2. Surprise

Nightwing joined the three early birds in the main room as soon as he was done styling his hair and was dressed in his uniform. Two of them were in a loud argument, and the other trying to stifle her fierce annoyance.

"Dude, do you realize how many animals are killed to be your meal!" Beastboy cried angrily.

"Get off my back about it BB, you know I'm never eating that nasty tofu!" Cyborg shouted back.

As the two continued to argue Nightwing approached Raven noticing her obvious irritation, and asked "Are you okay Raven?"

_"He underestimates my self control."_ she thought privately. "It would take more than those two idiots to get me to snap Robin, you should know that." She said, and then taking a quick sip of tea.

"It's Nightwing."

"You're always going to be a Robin to us." Raven replied slightly amused at his annoyance. _"Well except maybe Starfire." She thought silently again. "She was the one who started to call you that. Probably because she already got to meet your future alter ego long ago, and now you're finally him."_

As Raven was pondering Nightwing went to the kitchen now that Cy and Beastboy were at the kitchen table. He began to make some breakfast for him and Starfire. At the table Cyborg was eating his breakfast as fast as he could, while Beastboy attempted to steal Raven's attention from her book. Then they all heard a cheery voice call out to them from the doorway.

"Good morning friends!" Star called out enthusiastically. She was now dressed in her uniform, and her hair was now washed with the scent of her wild orchid shampoo.

"Hey Star." Cyborg and Beastboy said at the same time, while Raven was more focused on her book to acknowledge the new arrival.

Then Nighwing greeted her. "Hey Starfire, I made you some pancakes for breakfist."

"Oh thank you Nightwing," She responded as she floated quickly towards him in the kitchen. "and they are just how like them as well!" Starfire gave him a quick peck on the cheek to show her gratitude, before claiming her pile of pancakes with banana and pickle slices, and mustard drizzled on top, and then went over to the table to join the others.

"Your welcome." He replied silently. Briefly Nightwing touched the spot where her lips had blessed his cheek with a kiss, before joining everyone else at the table.

As the Titans ate their breakfast Nightwing's thoughts wander back to the ring hidden in the drawer. _How to propose? Hmm, it had to something special, she means more to me than anything else in the world. I have to prove I really care and will stay by her side always. Don't want to lose her. Maybe I should talk to Cyborg for advice; he might know what to do. It'll be all worth it if she says yes. WAIT!!! What if she says no? What will I do if she says no!_

"Hey Rob… Nightwing," Cyborg asked interrupting Nightwing's sudden wave of panic "training still same time? It seems like nothing came up to stop it." He glanced quickly over to Starfire, and then back to Nightwing. Beastboy followed his gaze and snickered.

Nightwing glared at them and replied "Yeah training will still be after break-."

The alarm cut Nightwing off before he could finish his sentence.

"Trouble." They all said before taking off to the T-car and R-cycle.

"Ladies and gentlemen, for my final trick I shall make all these lovely jewels disappear into this little baggie." Mumbo held up a very tiny bag that could hardly be expected to hold a jewelry stores entire stock. "Now just say the magic words…..MUMBO JUMBO!!!" All the jewels flew into the bag like it was a vacuum collecting dust.

"Thank you, thank you you've been a fabulous audience." Mumbo said to the bound and gagged store clerk. "Now I'll just make my exit." Mumbo turned to find the Titans standing in the entryway. "Well perhaps I could honor our special guests with an encore."

"We're not interested in an encore, only in shutting this show down." Nightwing yelled at Mumbo.

"Well if that's the case I'll only show you only one trick…..MUMBO JUMBO." Mumbo suddenly vanished in a poof of smoke.

"Where he go?" Cyborg grunted in frustration.

"Out here Titans." Mumbo called out from outside the store.

Nightwing yelled out orders, Starfire and Raven we're to follow and attack from the sky, while he and the others followed on foot.

The fight with Mumbo started out with his usual tricks, squirting flowers, attacking cards, and bombs out of thin air. He threw all this at them, but they we're getting close to beating him. So Mumbo pulled out a new trick to confuse the Titans.

"MUMBO JUMBO." He yelled, and suddenly there was five of himself.

"Well aren't I handsome." One of the five said to his replicates. "Now catch me if you can Titans, but only one of you will find the real me."

"Titans split up!" Nightwing yelled to his team.

Each of the Titans chose a Mumbo to follow that quickly run away separating the team further. The one who will find their Mumbo to be the real one shall be Starfire. She had him cornered in an alley preparing to throw a starbolt at him.

Her hand was aimed and ready to blast, but a strange feeling overcame her. Starfire felt like she was becoming slightly weaker, her starbolt was fading from her grasp.

_"What's is happening to me!" She thought in a sudden panic. "Why can't I attack him?"_

Mumbo took advantage of her sudden hesitation by levitating a dumpster and giving it a good throw at her.

Starfire naturally threw her hands up to stop and catch this projectile, but her alien strength failed her for once in her entire life. The force of the dumpster threw out of the alley and into the street, and knocking her out. Starfire didn't even have a chance to scream.

Mumbo walked towards her unconscious form stopping a couple feet from her body. "Strange, she probably could've stopped that." Mumbo spoke aloud in a slightly confused tone. He shrugged and quickly ran off with the jewels before the other Titans came for him or looking for her.


	3. Unexpected

Starfire could was beginning to awake. She could feel herself back in her body, but yet not fully apart of it. The only thing she could tell was that there were voices speaking around her.

"How long do you think she's been like this?! As soon we catch Mumbo he's going to pay!" An angry voice threatened darkly.

A voice that spoke in monotone began to console the first voice. "She's fine Robin, Starfire will wake up soon."

These voices sounded very familiar, but she couldn't figure out who they we're.

The first voice snapped back at the monotone. "She was hit by a dumpster! We don't even know how long she's been here like this and you want to take this calmly!"

"I know that any injury she might have isn't going to be serious, the worst that'll be wrong with her is a little light headiness."

A deep third voice suddenly interjected itself into the conversation. "You know it's kind of weird, if Star saw this big hunk of metal coming at her, she could have stopped it."

_I should have been able to stop it, but why couldn't I?_

"Mumbo must have taken her by surprise then." Another fourth voice commented. "That's pretty low dude, to attack someone and they don't even see it coming."

_These voices are my friends. Oh they must be worried. Can I get up? _

Starfire's eyes fluttered open and she looked above her to find her four friends looking down at her.

"Starfire are you okay?" Nightwing asked anxiously as soon as her eyes opened.

Starfire felt very tired, it took her a moment to answer. "I'm fine just a little tired is all." As she replied Starfire tried to sit up. Nightwing immediately assisted her by grabbing her arm so she wouldn't fall back down.

"What happened to Mumbo?" Nightwing asked with a note of unspoken anger in his voice.

"He….he got away." She answered, but what happened before that?

Beastboy decided to interrupt Nightwing's line of questioning with a question of his own. "Did Mumbo throw the dumpster at you when you we're coming up to the alley? You know like a sneak attack." He pointed his finger over at the green giant metal bin as he spoke, one that she could of easily be expected to stop in its tracks.

"I was...suprised by it." In a way she spoke truthfully. Starfire was surprised, and shocked when she couldn't stop it.

"Look guys Star's probably fuzzy on the details." Cyborg said. "We should head back to the tower, and get some rest. I doubt Mumbo is going to make a reappearance anytime soon." If he did Nightwing would surely beat him to death.

"Yeah let's head back." Beastboy quickly agreed.

Nightwing helped Starfire up, and then escorted her to the T-car. As soon everyone but Nightwing was in the car they took off with Nightwing following on his bike.

The car ride was silent which gave Starfire time to ponder what happened before she was knocked out. She tried to produce another starbolt while in the car, but with no success.

_What's happening to me? My strength must be gone too, but why? Am I ill? There isn't a disease that can cause that on my planet…wait! Wasn't that something that happened to the females of my planet when they are…"_

Starfire just realized what was wrong. Something she didn't realize could happen with her and Nightwing. It just didn't seem possible for them, and it filled her with a feeling of dread. What should have been something to usually cause joy gave her a feeling of unease.

Starfire was pregnant.


	4. Future Apprentice

Mumbo stood outside Slade's lair unsure of whether it was worth going inside. All criminals knew not to bother Slade unless they had information on the Titans he could make use of. If Slade liked the information he would always pay the criminal quite handsomely. That's what brought Mumbo here today.

_It's for the money, even if Slade doesn't like the dirt I got on the alien, I still got the jewels to make a profit off of. _Mumbo assured himselfsilently.

Mumbo was about to press the intercom and alert Slade to his presence, but Slade's butler, Vincent, opened the doorway frightening the already jumpy Mumbo.

"May I help you sir?" Vincent asked.

Ye...ye...yes!" Mumbo stammered. "I wish to give Slade some information I observed in a fight with the Titans."

Vincent nodded. "Very well sir, follow me if you will." He turned on his heal walking back down the hallway. Mumbo quickly followed before the door could close on him.

The walk down the hallway was silent, until they reached a large metal door. Vincent pushed a button that activated another intercom.

"Master, we have another visitor with information."

Slade's voice came through the microphone. "Who?"

"What is your name sir?"

"Mmm…Mumbo." He answered still nervous.

"Mumbo." Vincent answered.

There was no response, and then the door opened. The open doorway revealed Slade's lair. On the back wall was five incredibly large computer screens. Each was dedicated to one Titan; everything about them was on each screen. There seemed to be no other exit or entryway expect for the one Mumbo was entering through. The room was dark except for two spotlights. One for where Slade sat on his throne and the other for anyone who dare stand before him.

Mumbo made his way to the spotlight that he was meant to stand under. Then he waited for Slade to speak.

"Is your information worth my attention?" Slade finally asked after an awkward silence for Mumbo.

Mumbo gulped, Slade was just so intimidating. "Yes, I do believe it may be helpful?"

"It may be helpful?" Slade mocked, eyes narrowing in annoyance. "My patience is thin Mumbo, I've had too many of your kind come in with absolutely useless information. The time I'm giving you better be worth it."

Mumbo just blurted it all out. "The alien, Starfire, her powers are failing. She couldn't use her laser blasts, and when I threw something heavy at her she couldn't stop it like she usually could, and she definitely saw it coming too.

Slade had to admit that this information was better than what those other clowns had brought for him, but was it useful? Slade had built in computer on one of his armrests. He quickly typed in what Mumbo told him, and asked what it meant for Tameranians. The result of the search was definitely interesting.

"Vincent, give Mumbo a bonus of what I usually pay to others like him."

Mumbo's jaw dropped. It was useful, and a bonus too! He quickly left with Vincent to obtain his reward, and then head back home.

When they left Slade stood up, and walked over to Starfire's screen. He just stood before it staring at pictures displayed of her. Finally he spoke aloud to himself.

"Who would have thought I would find you useful to me someday. The unborn child you carry must be Nightwing's. Starfire, you've given me the perfect chance for a new apprentice, one whose mind I can mold from the very beginning. The best part is that this apprentice will be even more powerful than any of the treacherous one's I've had before. All your power and strength paired with Nightwing's blood. The child will look to me as its father, and therefore will always obey me, and Nightwing will hesitate to fight his own offspring."

Slade smiled under his mask.

Starfire was sitting on a bench in the park. It had been a week since she discovered her pregnancy. Fortunately there had been no crime during that week so there was no need to fight. Even when there was training she just blew it off, which her friends definitely noticed. Luckily her ability to fly wouldn't be gone, but it would definitely get harder when she would gain weight and when her emotions got out of whack. Starfire kept herself isolated from the others, and she hardly came out of her room anymore.

_Nightwing. _Starfire quietly sighed thinking of him. He was definitely worried about her the most. She started to ignore him, and did her best to stay as far away from him as possible. He kept trying to talk to her and find out what was wrong, but she kept giving him the cold shoulder and telling him nothing was wrong.

A tear slid down her cheek, she quickly wiped it away. All of this hurt her so much.

Starfire didn't believe she and Nightwing could ever have children. She always thought that they were both too different. He was human, and she was an alien.

_Nightwing would be a good father, but he's a better hero. I'm already a weakness for him, and child would only make it worse. No matter what though I can't give up my baby! My baby deserves a life, and I won't destroy that for Nightwing. _

The one problem was that Starfire didn't know where to go. She couldn't go back to Tameran. They would consider her child a half breed. They would even call her baby a troq, because the baby wouldn't be a pure Tameranian. It was better if she began a new life for them on earth.

Starfire began to watch a little boy playing with his parents. She could see all their love for each other, and their child glow warmly in their eyes. They looked so happy, and Starfire smiled imagining her and Nightwing playing with their own child.

_I know I can trust him to be a good father, and protect the baby and me from any danger. He also deserves a chance to be a father, it would be wrong of me to take that away from him. I should tell him, and will be happy not sad. We'll find a make it work I can just feel it. _

Starfire stood up, and walked away from the bench. Before she would fly home though, she would take a quick walk on one of the trails in park. She would use that time to think of how to tell Nightwing her news.

They're was no else, but her on the trail so it was more private than usual. "_Definitely better for thinking." _She thought.

"Hello Starfire." Said an awfully familiar voice.

Starfire turned around slowly, hoping dearly it was just her imagination, but sadly no.

Slade was leaned against one of the many trees that blocked any view of the trail. Unfortunately for Starfire the trail was hard to see, and she was farther away from other people so it would be hard for any cry of help to be heard.

"What do you want Slade?!" Starfire spoke strongly refusing to show any fear.

"Why I only came to wish you a congratulations."

Starfire's heart stopped. He couldn't know, please let it be something else. "What do you mean?" Her voice spoke weaker than before.

"On your pregnancy, what else would I congratulate you for?"

"I'm not pregnant." She bluffed quickly.

"Really? If that's so why don't you shoot a starbolt at me, or throw me a mile away with your strength. Can you do that instead of trying to stall?"

Starfire stepped back a couple steps, and Slade followed with a few more steps towards her.

"What does it matter to you anyway?" Starfire said continuing to back up, and pulling her communicator out, and preparing to make a run for it.

"Can't you see? I have a new chance for an even better, and loyal, apprentice. Better than your Nightwing ever was."

Starfire froze at that statement. Her baby as Slade's apprentice. No, not that, anything but that. She could only manage to say "No…" very faintly.

"Of course a child needs his mother, so I don't plan to have you gone entirely from the baby's life, and I feel I would make a suitable father figure for the child."

They way he spoke of her child is what disturbed her the most. Slade spoke as though the child belonged to him. It almost made her sick to her stomach.

"NO!!!" She finally screamed, running away before she took off into the sky, but no matter how fast she was, she still her heard his solemn vow.

"I will take you and your child away from Nightwing forever."

Author's Notes: Going on vacation soon, and won't be able to update for awhile


	5. Only Course

Titans Tower had never been under a dark cloud as bad as this. Starfire's sudden isolation filled the Titans with a feeling of despair. Her almost constant aura of cheerfulness and hope kept them happy, but the sudden change was almost painful for them to live with.

They were all in the main room trying to do what they did when they actually have free time, but the sense that something was terribly wrong kept them from enjoying it. Cyborg and Beastboy were playing a video game without their usual competitive enthusiasm. Raven found it difficult to find interest in one of her books. Nightwing felt the worst out of all the others. He would always spend time with Starfire in his free time, and now all he had do was pace back and forth thinking and worrying about what could be wrong. Finally the green Titan couldn't take another moment of this fake act of normalcy.

"I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!!! WHY ISN'T SHE HAPPY?!" Beastboy shouted at all of them throwing down the controller with so much force that it broke.

"Beastboy, I'm sure we'd all love to know what's going on with Starfire." Raven said to him. "But Starfire will have to talk when she's ready."

"I don't know if that's a good idea Ray." Cyborg spoke with worry in his voice. "Star seems really depressed, and I don't think we should wait for her to get better all on her own. We have to try and help her through whatever is going on."

Beastboy suddenly threw a verbal attack at Nightwing. "How do we know it isn't Robin's fault?! Are you trying to push her away again?! Did you hurt her?!"

Nightwing was filled with a sudden uncontrollable rage at Beastboy. He charged at him knocking him down, and crushing him down on the floor. Beastboy's eyes widened at the attack, that he was almost scared for his life.

"Don't you dare think I did this to Starfire! I'm worrying the most about her here! I've been trying to talk to her, but she's pushing me away hard. I have no idea what's wrong, and it's killing me."

"Robin let him go, and apologize, you too Beastboy, Robin doesn't deserve the blame for any of this!" Raven snapped at them both. "We're at each other's necks over something, and we don't even know what it is about."

"Yeah guy's, we can't fight like this, we got find out what's wrong, and how we can help her. Where is she right now anyway?" Cyborg asked.

Nightwing pulled out his communicator and checked out her location. "Star is heading back to the Tower as we speak, and she's moving pretty fast."

"Let's all try to talk to her when she gets here."

"She's just going to head straight for her room." Raven pointed out.

"Then we'll meet up with her at the entrance." Beastboy suggested.

They all quickly headed to the elevator and down to the bottom floor, and waited for their friend. She soon arrived, but the state she was in shocked them.

Starfire's eyes were overflowing with tears; her whole body was shaking from the sobs she did her best to suppress. How she was able to muster up any happy thoughts to fly back home in the emotional state she was in was impossible to understand. She stopped right in her tracks when she saw her friends all looking at her with the same expression of shock on each of their faces at her appearance.

"Starfire!" Nightwing quickly went over to comfort her, but she flinched away from his embrace.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!!! ALL OF YOU LEAVE ME ALONE!!! She screamed at them running away from them to the safety of her room.

"Star, please come back!" Nightwing yelled after her, but she did not turn she just continued to run. The others were too shocked by the whole scene that they couldn't speak up.

Starfire ran to her room and locked herself inside, but it wasn't long before her friends were outside her door knocking frantically. "_Please just leave me alone." _She thought desperately.

Nightwing's voice yelled at her through the door. "Star! Come on! What is going on? Don't even try to pretend anymore that you're okay!"

"Umm, Robin I don't think yelling is going to get a response." Raven said trying to get him to calm down. "Let's let Starfire calm down before we try to talk to her, it'll be difficult for her to speak if she's crying that hard anyway."

"Ray's right Rob, we'll give her some time alone to get herself together, let's just wait in the main room." Cyborg began to lead them all back to the main room. Nightwing went reluctantly, not wanting to leave her knowing she was in great emotional pain.

Starfire listened to their departure until she was sure that they were gone. She crawled up on her bed and looked at herself in the mirror hugging her knees. She never felt this terrible in all her life.

If the vision that Slade had for her child came true, Starfire wouldn't know if she could live another day. When Nightwing was Slade's apprentice she had doubted him, but never truly believed that he had totally betrayed them. If Slade did train her child from the beginning she would be scared of her child becoming as awful a monster that Slade was.

If she stayed and told her friends of her pregnancy and Slade, they could try to protect her. However Starfire believed if Slade wanted something he would get it. Her child would have and even more dangerous childhood than what she first expected. If she stayed here Slade would know where she and the baby was, and he might be under the impression the Titans know already, he may even think that she was telling them right now of his new plot.

"_Slade may not be expecting me to runaway and disappear." _She thought, and this idea decided her course of action.

Starfire decided it would be safer for her and her unborn child to runaway and hide where Slade can't find them. Start a new life on earth, away from any danger. She would first have to change her appearance if she wanted to go into hiding.

Her hair, Starfire had never cut her shiny red hair in all her life (expect for when it got blasted off), but now it had to be shorter. She went to her dresser and found a pair of scissors. She stood in front of her mirror hair in one hand, and scissors in the other. Starfire hesitated, on her planet they would sometimes punish women by cutting off their hair, and making them feel more vulnerable and ugly. The first cut was hard to make, but it was for the baby. She continued cutting layering and giving herself side bangs. Starfire felt like she was punishing herself by cutting her crowning glory, but she just kept reminding herself it was for the baby.

Next, Starfire would have to wear clothes other than her uniform. She would have to wear the normal human clothes she had that had no trackers in them. Starfire changed into a pair of skinny black jeans, purple v-neck shirt, a plaid black, gray, and white hoodie, and some simple black flats.

Starfire then took everything that she would need and wanted to take with her, a few necessities, cash, and two pictures. The first picture was of her and all her friends having lunch at their favorite pizza place, and the second one was of her and Nightwing of when they we're younger. It was in Tokyo when they we're floating in a rowboat down a pond with cherry blossom petals falling freely all around them. She would want something to look at and remember of them. She placed all these in her pink backpack.

A letter was the one thing that took the most time to do. Tears fell onto the paper smearing the ink, but the message was still crystal clear. Starfire left it folded on her bed along with her communicator.

Starfire put her back pack on and went to open the window, but before she left she glanced back at her room having happy flashbacks of her home and all she cared about most. Sadly wishing she didn't have to feel this was the only best way to protect her baby. Starfire then flew down to the garage where she would need one more thing to take.

Luckily Cyborg or Nightwing wouldn't be in the garage then, so she could sneak out without anyone knowing. All she needed now was a new mode of transportation, and that was the R-cycle.

Nightwing never rode it anymore, he got a new mottorcycle when he started going by Nightwing instead of Robin. The R-cycle just sat in the garage abandoned. Before he got a new motorcycle he had given Starfire lessons on how to ride one. She felt bad about stealing this from him, but if she was going to hide Starfire shouldn't fly out of here when Slade was probably watching.

Starfire did a quick examination of the vehicle. Finding any trackers and removing everything that could lead back to the Titans. When all of this was done she grabbed a helmet and rode off, never looking back only looking ahead to a new life.


	6. Goodbye

"Starfire we need to talk to you?" Raven volunteered to try and get Starfire out of room and was now speaking _to her _outside her bedroom door. "Star come on you've been in there for an hour."

Raven still received silence from the inside of Star's room.

"If that's how you're going to be than I'm just coming in."

Raven made a small black portal to enter into the room. As she entered she was shocked to find Starfire's presence absent.

"Starfire are you hiding?" Raven asked now irritated with her friend. It was then that she noticed the opened window. "Oh Star stop running away, this is getting really bad." Raven's eyes drifted around the room looking for anything that could hint to Starfire's distress.

Raven went to her desk and probed through the drawers, but found no clues. The only thing that interested her was that some of what appeared to Starfire's hair was tangled in a pair of scissors on the desk.

"Were you cutting your hair?" Raven wondered why Starfire would do something like that, but decided it irrelevant.

Raven then went over to the dresser and mirror, but found nothing there, but found something of definite interest in the mirrors reflection. On the bed were Star's communicator and a piece of folded paper.

She turned slowly not wanting to pick up the paper, fearing what it might say, but knew this was an important clue. Her hand shook when she picked up the paper.

"Please don't let it be what I think it is." Raven unfolded the paper revealing the message she dreaded most.

When she finished reading it, she took her communicator and said one thing. "She's gone…and she's…not coming back." Raven uttered in despair.

There was no response, nothing but shocked silence. Raven did hear the pounding of feet running down to where she stood. Nightwing was first to enter the room followed by Beast Boy and Cyborg.

Nightwing approached Raven slowly and asked one question. "How do you know she's not coming back?" It surprised Raven how close he looked to tears. She didn't want to cause him more pain, but she had to let him see the letter.

Nightwing read the letter aloud:

_To my dearest friends,_

_I know that you have seen the changes in my behavior over the past week. I can't tell you everything, but I will try to tell all that I can._

_I'm leaving the Titans. Something has come up that prevents me from possibly ever fighting crime again. My life and the life of someone else are in grave danger. I fear you will be placed into danger because of it. I know that we've faced danger together before, but the life of this other person would always be danger if I remained. I can't reveal who this other person is, but this person needs my help. I'm sorry about the pain I must be causing you all now, but know that I do this out of love. I'm sorry, but this is goodbye._

_Always your friend,_

_Starfire_

_P.S. I'm sorry Nightwing, but I needed to borrow it. _

"What did she borrow?" Cyborg asked Nightwing.

Before he answered Nightwing tried to locate her with his communicator, but had no success. "I don't know, but whatever it is I'm going to find out what it is and see if I can track it. Search the tower and see if anything of mine is missing." Nightwing ordered. The all went on the search except for Raven who was trying to locate Starfire with her mind.

Raven felt a presence, but it was frustrating this feeling. It didn't give her an absolute location, and it felt like she was seeing two people's thoughts. One was going fast blurring the images all around them, and the other was in complete darkness with very little brain activity. These thoughts were too close together making it incredibly difficult to figure out where they were. Raven tried to concentrate on Starfire, but this was all she was able to sense.

Nightwing, Cyborg, and Beast Boy practically tore the tower apart searching for anything missing. Their search started from top to bottom, and nothing was noticed gone until Beast Boy ran into the garage. He stopped as he normally so not to trip over Nightwing's old bike, but it surprised him to not find the bike in its usual spot.

"She took the R-cycle?" Beast Boy found that hard to believe, but gathered the others to show them what he found.

"Starfire took the R-cycle." Nightwing stated the obvious and added. "I once gave her lessons on how to ride it, but I never thought she would need those skills someday."

"Can you track her?" Cyborg asked hopefully.

Nightwing examined the ground where his old mode of transportation once stood, and found the remains of the many trackers he placed on it. "I don't know, it looks like she got most of the trackers off it, but I'll check and besides maybe Raven found her."

"You're going to have to find her that way." Raven joined them in the garage.

"Why?" They all asked.

"It's because I can't get a single clear signal from her anywhere. I've never felt something like this before. It's like I'm sensing two people at once and their radars are too close together for me to get a signal from either of them alone."

"Keep trying." Nightwing ordered. "Let's go to the main computer and see if we can use that to find anything."

They tried everything, but nothing gave them the ability to track their friend. Nightwing checked to see if she got all the trackers and was disappointed to find that she did. Raven kept trying to find her telepathically, but with the same end result.

"This isn't going to work we won't be able to find her." Beast Boy was starting to give up all hope.

"There's still a chance BB!" Cyborg snapped. "Look were wasting time, let's just search the cit.-."

Cyborg was cut off by a massive explosion, breaking the front window and the force of it all shot them against the back wall.

The last thing Raven remembered was flying glass and a sudden flash of green. Now she was against the back wall, and Beast Boy was right over her still shielding her from the sudden blast.

_He saved me._

Beast Boy made a groan of pain and fell to his side. Raven kneeled forward and examined him. Horrified she discovered pieces of glass sticking out of his back making the back of his uniform go red.

"Beast Boy! Don't worry I'm not letting you go that easily!!!"

Cyborg's armor protected him from most of the flying debris. He only got a few scratches only a few parts of him received series damage. He got up slowly and was trying to see where the others were. His head turned when he heard Raven cry out Beast Boy's name in absolute horror. When he looked over saw his friend lying unconscious and bleeding on the floor he felt as though he got more damage from the blast then he actually had. He ran over to them quickly and knelt by Raven's side as she used her powers to do all she could to save him.

"Come on Beast Boy. Don't die on us please." He begged from his unconscious friend.

Nightwing saw the blast coming at the last second. He saw some sort of projectile inches away from the window before the explosion. He tried to yell out but it was too late, and he managed to protect himself from the flying debris. He didn't check to see where his friends were; only focusing on the dark outline of a person through the smoke. As the smoke cleared he gritted his teeth in anger.

"Slade!"

WWWWWWWWWWWWW

I thought this chapter would be good with each of their point of views before the explosion and after, and don't worry Beast Boy won't die. I only did that to do some BB&Rae. By the way I also changed the last chapter a bit especially the ending. Please read and review.


	7. Hope or Doomed Future

"Slade!"

Nightwing's greatest enemy stood in front of the gaping hole in the window facing his former apprentice. He took his time to respond, observing the wreckage he caused with his explosive.

"Robin, or should I call you Nightwing now that your all grown up."

"You've been wise not to show your face for the past few years. Were ready to take you down." Nightwing threatened.

"Really? Well from the looks of it only three of you seem capable to fight right now."

_Three? Who is he talking about?_

It was then that Nightwing glanced over at his teammates. Nightwing was shocked at the damage Beast Boy took to protect Raven. Cyborg and Raven were unharmed, but looked shaken by the condition of their friend. One thing did seem off by what Slade said. Why didn't he include Starfire as one that could fight? Did he know she was gone?

"At least Starfire wasn't here for the blast." Nightwing said trying to fool Slade.

"True." Slade agreed surprising Nightwing. "I made sure she wasn't in the room before I launched the missile. I wouldn't want to harm her in her condition."

_Condition? Slade knows something. I bet it's why she ran away, but why wouldn't he want to harm her?_

"It's one of the reasons I came. To claim what will be mine." Slade continued.

"That's not going to happen." Nightwing had no idea what he was talking about, but was trying to get more information.

"We'll see about that." Slade snapped his fingers and army of his robots jumped in the through the broken window. "Take care of them, and leave the alien for me to find." He ordered to his league of robots.

"Cyborg, get rid of the robots, Raven defend Beast Boy, and I'll take care of Slade." Nightwing ordered as he followed Slade out of the main room.

"Azarath, metrion, zinthos!" Raven chanted yanking off the main doors and forming a wall around her and Beast Boy. Cyborg jumped over the wall and cracked his knuckles menacingly at the line of foes.

"You all are going pay for what you did to Beast Boy!" Cyborg yelled charging at them at full speed. He started taking each one out with his fists, but soon moved on to his sonic cannon to take more out at in one blast. Though he destroyed many more kept coming through the broken window, but Cyborg had enough anger to give him an extra boost of adrenaline.

Raven had to fight a robot here and there, but focused primarily on Beast Boy. She removed a piece a glass one at a time, and healed each wound enough to stop any serious blood loss. He remained unconscious, but seemed to wince slightly each time she pulled a shard from his back.

"If I saw the bomb coming I could have put a shield around everyone, and have saved everyone." Raven said blaming herself for her friends daring sacrifice.

"Rae…" Beast Boy's voice spoke and was filled with pain.

"Beast Boy!" Raven yelped taken off guard by Beast Boy's sudden return to consciousness. "Don't talk your really hurt, just stay still and you'll be fine."

"Saw… bomb…come…didn't…want…you…hurt." He managed to say before going out cold again.

WWWWWWWWWWW

Slade was searching the tower for Starfire. He hoped Nightwing could give him a lead to her location, but it seemed to Slade that all Nightwing wanted to do was fight and talk at the same time. He seemed to be constantly trying to bring up Starfire in every shout, threat, and warning.

Slade ran down the stairwell to the 4th floor where most of the hero's resting quarters were. Nightwing was still on the 5th floor recovering from being hit by Slade's fists a dozen times, and thrown against one of the walls so hard it caused a crack. Nightwing was out of breath, even though he was stronger now than when he first fought Slade; Slade was still seemed just as strong maybe even stronger no matter how old he got.

Slade scanned each door searching for Starfire's name. Each door said something different.

_Weapons, Raven, Evidence, Cyborg, Beast Boy, aha at last Starfire's room. _

Slade knocked the door with one body slam and didn't lose his balance. Slade glanced around the room, aiming a special gadget at nothing in particular. No pregnant alien in sight.

Slade made observations about what was in her room. One drawer on her dresser was left open, as well as her closet door, a few strands of red hair were on a pair of scissors, a notebook left open with a missing blank page, and unfolded piece of paper left on the bed. Slade took the paper and read the message Starfire left. When Slade was finished he crumpled the paper in frustration.

_She's already gone, and her friends know nothing! What a waste of time! Though, her friends not knowing does give me more of an advantage in a way, I know more than they do. One thing will come in handy, and that's a piece of the girl's hair._

Slade took a piece tissue from a box also on her desk, and pinched the hair plucking them from the scissors, and folding them delicately in the tissue. Now he would have a way to identify the child.

"Freeze Slade!" Nightwing yelled from the doorway.

"Don't waste your breath Nightwing." Slade said hiding the device he planned on using on Starfire behind his back. "I know she's gone, and you don't know have a clue as to why."

"Why don't you tell me why you're interested in her?" Nightwing asked.

"Jealous, now that you're the center of attention anymore Nightwing, now if you'll excuse me I'll be on my way." Slade said heading towards the window.

"I WON'T LET YOU GET AWAY!" Nightwing charged at Slade, and Slade threw the device he had kept hidden right at his attacker. Nightwing was suddenly enveloped in big round bubble that held him floating in its center.

"Until we meet again." Slade added before escaping through the window.

WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

Now that the tower was safe again all the Titans were in the clinic. Beast Boy was on one of the beds in there having his wounds cleaned and bandaged by Raven. They listened as Cyborg and Nightwing discussed what Slade had said about Starfire.

"So Slade knows why she ran away?" Cyborg asked.

"He said something about her in some sort of condition, but he also said he came to claim something, probably something from her." Nightwing was frustrated about knowing so little.

"Star has something that Slade wants, but she ran away before he could get his hands on it, and he blew us up to get it, I bet it's something important."

"Whatever it is, she couldn't trust us to help her protect it, and she did a good job of making herself disappear."

"OUCH!" Beast Boy yelled dragging the attention over to him.

"Hold still and it won't hurt!" Raven scolded.

"But that stuff STINGS!" Beast Boy complained.

"Be glad you're not dead." Raven reminded him.

"I'm glad you're not dead." Beast Boy mumbled so quietly only Raven was able to hear it.

Raven kept her face blank as she continued to dress his wounds. She decided to ask Nightwing a question to keep her distracted from the confusion in her head. "Are we going to keep looking for her?"

"Of course we are! Why wouldn't we try to find Starfire?" Nightwing answered immediately.

Raven sighed, stopping what she was doing, Raven was hesitant to answer, but spoke up as to what she thought should be done. "I don't think we should look for Star. I think we should wait for her to come to us."

The room went silent as the words fell from Raven's mouth waiting for a response. No one knew how to reply to her statement.

Nightwing finally broke the awkward silence practically growling at Raven.

"No!!! We have to find her!!! She's needs our help! How could you even suggest not trying to find her and just sit around and wait?!"

"Robin-."

"IT'S NIGHTWING!" He yelled growing angrier each second.

Raven slightly flinched and finally began calling him by his new identity.

"Nightwing, Starfire probably didn't stay because she knew Slade would be able to find her here. If we went and found her she would be revealed to Slade. He knows that you would insist on finding her, and would probably use us to find her for him. If she feels safe enough to come back or needs our help she will come, and Star can take care of herself so we don't need to worry." Raven concluded.

The smarter plan was Raven's, but Nightwing couldn't stand the thought of waiting when he knew Starfire was in a dangerous situation.

"I think we should go with Raven on this." Cyborg said uncomfortable that there was probably going to be a bit of a mutiny against Nightwing.

"I think so too." Beast Boy added in.

Nightwing was silent before he spoke. His face became as hard as stone as he replied. "I don't think I should stay if this is how it's going to be. I can't give up." He started to walk towards the door.

Raven ran and stopped herself between him and the door. "No, Nightwing you can't do that either, please you can't leave." Raven begged.

Nightwing looked at the ground refusing to make eye contact with her. He was surprised at the sound of actual desperation in her voice, and maybe even tears.

"Why?" He asked blankly.

"We can't let the team fall apart. We all know that if Starfire disappeared than the way she our future will come true. Beast Boy will become some freak show, Cyborg will break down, I'll go crazy, and you'll just go away and never come back. We can't let that happen. Starfire will blame herself for that and feel guilty even more than she would for leaving us without an explanation. This time she can come back and our future doesn't have to be doomed to that terrible fate."

Each of them had the same fear of drifting apart. Now that Starfire was actually gone it seemed like this nightmare might come true.

WWWWWWWWWWWW

Hope you liked this chapter. I've got a better idea of how the story will progress, but I can either go 2 ways with it, and I'm not sure which will be the one. Vote in poll to help me decide.


	8. Titan's Academy

Such a long time since I updated, finally was struck with inspiration. As you will see it was decided to age Nightstar, but there will be flashbacks to when she was a child, like this one for example.

WWWWWWWWWWW

**4 years later…**

_A Mother and her child hold hands as they spend their Sunday morning walking in the park._

_This image is innocent; one thinks they are just a happy pair spending this moment in the park making happy memories for future days to look back upon._

_For the woman this was not going to become a happy memory._

_The child in this situation would barely remember this day. She would only know that something occurred on this day, but would not understand what happened for a long time._

_"Mommy look swings!" The little girl cried out excitedly. "Can I play on those, please?!"_

_Her Mother heard her daughter's request, but she was preoccupied. She glanced around uneasily, she was already sensing what was coming to change the way their day had began._

_"Not today honey, maybe some other time." She answered absently._

_"Why?! I never get to play on the swings anymore! I promise I won't do it again!" She begged thinking her Mother's refusal was because of her first time on a swing. She loved it so much she flew into the air with joy when she jumped off the swings seat._

_"It's not that. Please honey, I'm sorry, but we need to leave now." The woman took her child's hand and began leading her out of the park._

_"We just got here. You promised we would stay longer this time." The girl moaned sadly._

_"I know dear, but don't worry were going to see your uncle!" The Mother tried to sound more excited._

_The dark haired girl broke out of her Mother's grasp. "No! We always go there when you change your mind. I don't want to go!" She whined._

_The Mother grew more apprehensive. "Be quiet!" She urged. "I know this is not fair to you dear, but believe me when I say I do this to protect you."_

_"Protect me from what?" _

_"Now is not the time, we have to go now!" She reached out for her child's hand again. Her little girl pulled away again._

_"No, I don't want to go." The girl backed away a few steps before she turned and sprinted away from her Mother._

_"Nightstar, come back here!"_

_WWWWWWW_

**5 years later…**

_A young pre-adolescent sat in the sill of a window. She stared out at the pouring rain that fell without mercy onto the city of Gotham. Her dark bangs made it difficult for her emerald eyes to see, but she didn't care for that so much. She saw enough, and whenever she did look into her eyes it only made her wonder about one person. The bangs help hide those questions she had._

_Nightstar sighed. Her life was so complicated. She always felt her uncle's pity about how her life was, but he could do nothing to console it._

_She focused on the sound of the rain trying to forget what was bothering her. Nightstar never liked the rain. Her reasons for this dislike she never understood, but at least it was just rain and not a thunder storm. Those storms terrified her more than anything._

_The sound of the rain made her feel strange; she felt she was being pulled away. The drumming of the rain sounded familiar now. Soon she no longer was staring at falling raindrops, but at a little girl._

_The little girl was alone in the woods crying. She was crouched down on the ground, her head resting on her knees._

_Is that me? Nightstar wondered to herself. Why I am crying? _

_Then a small raindrop fell from a storm cloud above onto the young Nightstar's head. Her head snapped up to look at the clouds that brooded overhead. More drops began to fall. Nightstar finally stood up and said in a slightly afraid voice "I need to find Mommy."_

_Mother? Will I get to see her? The older Nightstar chased after the little girl who ran through thick woods. She managed to find her way back to the trail, the rain became heavier, and lightening soon flashed bringing a wave of thunder. _

_The little girl tripped and fell on the dirt trail. The rain already made the ground muddy, her clothes got very dirty and a few smudges of mud were on her face._

_"Get up!" Nightstar yelled. "Please find her! I need to see her!"_

_The little one stayed where she was on the ground. She shivered, the rain was cold, and her little jacket was soaked through._

_"Mommy where are you?" The little girl whispered, tears dripped down the child's face, but they rain made it hard to tell._

_Nightstar was crying too, the woman she barely remembered was nowhere, in this once lost memory._

"Nightstar? Nightstar?!" A voice cried out to her,

Nightstar yelped and fell from the window sill.

"Nightstar?!" Her uncle knelt by her. "Why are you crying?"

She started shaking and her silent crying became sobs. Her uncle tried to soothe her.

"It's alright now. What happened?" He inquired while patting her back.

Nightstar looked at him, and asked him point blank "Did she abandon me?"

"What?! Nightstar no! Your mother would never do that to you."

"Then why couldn't I find her. Why didn't she find me? I was so cold and afraid and-."

"You remembered something?" He interrupted.

"I saw myself when I was younger. I was in the woods crying, and it started raining and I couldn't find her!" She wailed. "Why, would she leave me alone there?!"

"She didn't, you'll remember more, one day."

"Why don't you just tell me what happened?!" She demanded.

"I wasn't there, I just found you lying on the trail by yourself. The rest you'll have to remember."

"Uncle X, please!" She begged. "You know so much more about who I am than I do."

Red X smile grimly beneath his mask. "I only know your origins, the rest is up to you to find."

WWWWWWWW

**6 years later…**

Nightstar raced with Red X to their destination. The streets in Jump City were perfect for motorcycles. The two swerved around cars and angry pedestrians as the raced to Titans Bridge.

"Still going at a granny's pace X!" Nightstar jeered.

They were close to the bridges entrance now.

"I'm saving the best for last kid!" X replied and he clicked a button and zoomed to his bikes highest speed; riding past her and towards victory.

"Me too X." She said quietly with an evil grin on her face. She flicked a switch of her own and sent her bike to its highest speed that exceeded Red X's own. She flew past him and made it to the victory spot on the bridge. She braked quickly and swerved around to Red X. He stopped his own bike a few feet away from hers, while he did so she pulled of her helmet still grinning.

"Like my modifications?"

Red X said nothing.

"Are you going to say anything? Or are you too proud?"

"I am going to say something, but not about the bike."

Nightstar realized the where she was. She looked over at Titans Tower and realized she be on her own now.

"So she lived here?"

"Yeah she did. I've got you enrolled to join their academy. Just state your name and they'll let you in."

"Will they recognize me? Do they even know I exist?"

"They don't know of you, and if you trimmed your bangs for once they might actually see the true resemblance in your eyes."

Nightstar smiled. She'd miss X's constant nagging about her needing a trim. "I will when I want to get them cut."

"I'll advise you on one thing though: Don't ask direct questions to them about Starfire."

"Why?"

"It's a sore subject for them. Especially around Nightwing, he is the one that knew her best, but he's also the one that hasn't been able to talk about her for 15 years. As I've heard he's a real grouch now."

"Why can't you come to the Tower?" She was curious.

"If I did you would lose all your respect for me."

"That'll never happen."

Red X chuckled. "We'll see. You'll learn all about me when you go there."

They were quiet again, trying to think of a good way to say goodbye.

Red X took the lead. "I better go now. If I stay too long we could get into some trouble."

"Kay." She said. "See you again someday?" Nightstar asked hopefully.

Red X smiled beneath his mask. "When you need my help is when I'll be around. I will be keeping an eye on you though." He warned. "Your Mother was crazy enough to make me your uncle, and I take that duty seriously. Stay out of trouble."

"Yeah I will, but I want to know one more thing?"

"What's that?"

"Do you think I'll remember her here? Will I remember why she was always hiding us?"

Red X looked out over the bridge and thought that one over. He looked back at her after a few moments of thinking.

"I think this place is your best chance at remembering everything that happened. Only tell them who you are if you think you're in trouble."

"But who am I trying to hide from?"

"I don't know. Your Mother never confided that bit of information to me."

Nightstar hesitated before asking her next. "What about my Father? Did she ever tell you who that was?"

Red X hesitated too. "She never had to tell me who it was. It was obvious, but she made me promise not to say a word of it to you. You have to find him on your own kid."

"Come on that's so unfair!" Nightstar whined.

"Sorry, I've been chatting with you for too long." He turned his bike back on and faced himself away from the tower. "Go be a hero. That's always what your Mother would want for you to be."

"Did she really want that?"

"She never said it out loud, but I'm sure she does." His engine roared to life. "See you soon." Then he was riding away like a maniac back onto the crowded streets of Jump City.

"Bye!" Nightstar called after him.

She was really going to miss him, but she needed to be on her own for now. She needed to find out who she was. Nightstar knew who she was supposed to be, but she didn't feel it. She didn't feel that she was the child of a great hero, Starfire. She didn't like being half alien. Humans had grown more wary of aliens when more came to earth to be a part of Titan's academy. They came, and sent word home about earth, and then more came like tourists to see it all. She felt lucky that the only thing about her to suggest that she was an alien was her eyes; hidden behind her curtain of dark bangs. She looked almost like a normal human. Her hair was a normal shade of ebony and her skin was pasty white instead of the bright orange most Tameranian's inherited. When anyone saw her foreign eyes they kept a safe distance away from her. Her kind had a bad rap of being excessively violent.

Nightstar never knew what Tameranian's were really like. She'd never been to Tameran and seen the culture first hand. Even there she doubted she would've been accepted. Almost every Tameranian that she'd met had treated her like an outcast. They saw her more as a weak human than they did a strong Tameranian. She had their powers, but she often chose not to flaunt them around. She preferred fighting hand to hand with martial arts.

Nightwing was apparently a legend when it came to martial arts. She'd look forward to those lessons.

She flicked her motorcycle back to life and rode over the bridge to find the answers she was looking for.

WWWWWWWW

"Welcome to Titan's Tower." One of the five school founders spoke in her usual monotone. "Before we show you to your rooms and begin training we would like to go over some rules."

"First," A small green man stepped up "any feelings of prejudice towards another someone here, whether it is because they are alien, mutant, or human, are not tolerated. I for example am a little green shape shifter, and I expect to be treated with the same respect you give to all your peers. Anything other than that would lead to immediate suspension for 5 days and possibly expulsion from the academy. If you can't work as a team here you don't belong."

"Second," A cyborg stepped next to the green dude "the equipment here are not toys. Accidents do happen, but do not use anything here that is beyond your understanding. Unless you become qualified to operate any of the computers or other such devices, you are not allowed to touch them without supervision."

"Third," The tall dark haired one stepped forward, in a commanding voice "your powers are indeed a gift, but you are only allowed to use them during training or if you are sent on a mission. During break time powers are not to be used in the tower. The only place one can use them is in the training field. If you use powers for combat in the tower that results in a 3 day suspension. Flying and teleporting are tolerated most of the time, but teleportation is strictly forbidden to any unauthorized area in the tower. Caught will result in immediate expulsion."

"Lastly," The one who first welcomed them stepped up by her comrades "all of you must give 100% to every activity here. We decide who goes on missions based on their skill and ability to work with others. Failure to show all your skills puts you down on our list of who goes on missions. We also reward free time outside the tower to those that show their skill well in training and on missions. That is a privilege not a right, if you do need to leave the tower for some reason come speak to us about. Curfew is at 11 o'clock"

They all spoke at once together. "From here on you are now Junior Titans and we are your teachers-."

"I am Beast Boy. I specialize in teaching shifters control and quick reflexes when it comes to changing. Most importantly I teach when to use certain shifts."

"I am Cyborg. My lessons are not specialized to any one group. I teach more in the use of gadgets and in the use of computers. A very important class when you need to hack into the enemy's computer to collect information."

"I am Nightwing. I teach hand to hand combat and self defense. We cannot rely on our own special power alone to help us succeed in battle. I am also co-teaching with Cyborg in auto-tech. Vehicles are needed for those without any other means of transport."

"I am Raven. I specialize in teaching magic wielders. I place a heavy emphasis on self-control. If you lose control of your spells in my class you will be marked down for it. I also help students identify what powers they have, and help reveal their abilities."

They spoke together again. "Does anyone have a question?"

Most of the students were too intimidated by their new teachers to raise a hand, except for one.

"Yes little lady." Cyborg called on her.

Nightstar stood up and asked "Are there no teachers here who specialize in alien powers?" Other students turned to look at her wondering what sort of alien she was if she was one at all.

Raven answered "Unfortunately no, we have been looking for someone to the fill the position, for now we each take turns helping such students to the best of our ability. What is your name miss?"

"Nightstar."

"What are your alien origins Nightstar?"

"Tameranian."

Some of the other students began whispering.

"A Tameranian?"

"Where's her orange skin?"

"She doesn't look threatening to me?"

Raven yelled out. "Quiet!"

Everyone went instantly silent.

Nightwing finished off answering Nightstar's question. "We are very aware of Tameranian's powers. You will be trained well with us."

"Thank you." Nightstar said and then she sat back down.

She knew now she was going to have some issues with other kids here.

WWWWWWWWW

Feels so good to be back to this story…send me a review


	9. The New Team

Nightstar walked carrying her duffle bag through the B-dorm. One of newer the buildings made for holding students around the tower. Her suite was number B-16. On the form she received she would be sharing that suite with her new team members.

When she spotted the numbers she was looking for she turned the knob of the door and entered the suite.

One of her new team members was already there. He was sitting on his tattered black trunk covered in numerous cryptic looking locks. He wore completely black, he had hooded cloak that covered his head and only went down to the beginning of his waist. Black leather gloves covered his hands with silver knuckles sewed in. His pants were black leather, with a silver studded belt for holding them up, and another useless belt that only held many skeleton keys, probably for his trunk, that hung loosely around his hips. His dark hood was still up hiding his face from her curious eyes.

He hadn't reacted to her entrance into the room at all; the young man continued to sit like a statue on his trunk.

"Hello." She greeted him as she walked in and tossed her duffle bag to the ground a few feet from where he sat in the middle of the room. "I'm Nightstar." She introduced herself politely expecting him to give her his name as well.

He remained silent and still.

An awkward introduction "Have you chosen your room yet?" The area they were in was the common area for the suite, on the left and right side there were only two rooms, a total of four rooms for each member of their group.

He shook his head.

Nightstar was glad she got some movement out of him. That helped assure her he was actually listening to her. She decided to hold off on continuing this conversation by examining the rooms to find the one she wanted. The room on the left side in the far corner, with a window facing the bay was the one she chose. She went back out to get her duffle. Her teammate was still sitting still on his trunk.

"Any chance I'll learn your name soon?" Nightstar asked as she walked back into her room.

When she placed her bag on her bed she felt a sudden chill and a presence close by, too close, in her head she thought.

_"My name is Ezekiel. Forgive me for frightening you, but this is the only way I am able to communicate with others." _His words whispered gently in her head.

Nightstar shuddered before she came back into the room. He changed positions; he turned away from the right wall to her doorway to see her reaction to him.

"Will I get used to that?" She asked breathlessly.

He shrugged. _"Eventually…" _He spoke very softly in her head, his voice didn't sound very deep, but it had a tone of maturity to it, almost wise sounding.

"I'm guessing you're a magic wielder."

_"Correct, I'll be taking Raven's classes."_

"I've heard she's very powerful. I'm taking classes with Nightwing and Cyborg, for hand to hand combat and auto-tech."

_"Are you not also taking their class on Tameranian fighting? You were the one that asked about that class." _He pointed out.

"Well I would, but I do doubt their knowledge if it's not being taught by a real Tameranian."

_"True, I would not be taught by someone who knew nothing of magic, but their former teammate was a Tameranian, so they would have some knowledge, maybe not to a great extent, but they could still assist." _

"Yeah I guess they would." She wanted more information on what he mentioned briefly of the former teammate. "Any chance you know more about what happened to their former teammate?" Nightstar asked casually like all she wanted was the gossip.

Ezekiel did not respond right away, and doing so gave the opportunity for their other team member to interrupt their conversation.

She kicked open the door that was left open slightly. She stepped in and paused looking at the two already situated in the room.

She was small, very tiny. She'd never grow over 5 feet. Her body was covered by a light blue jump suit that was made to fit her tightly and reveal the little bit of figure she had. Probably specially made for her abilities whatever they were. Her pale blond hair went past her mid back. It looked very soft and smooth, easily stroked by a hand. Her face was not nearly as pale as Nightstar's, but it was fair with blushing cheeks to give it color. Her eyes were a dull dark brown that only began to twinkle when she grinned at them.

"Hey I'm Lizzy!" She introduced herself eagerly to them.

Nightstar was the first to respond. "Hi Lizzy, I'm-."

"Nightstar." Lizzy finished for her. "I remember you were the only one to ask a question during that introduction part. The only name I do not know is yours." She looked over to Ezekiel waiting for him to give her his identity.

_"I am Ezekiel." _He spoke cautiously. Nightstar was able to hear him say this to Lizzy as well; he did not wish to exclude her in this conversation.

A fearful reaction did not come from Lizzy. Instead she treated the exchange very normally. "It's nice to meet you both. Which room is whose?" She inquired.

"That one is mine." Nightstar pointed to hers.

_"I have not taken a room yet. Feel free to choose."_

Lizzy nodded and went to the room next to Nightstar's. She placed her only piece of luggage in there which was a small black back pack. She came back out and sat crossed legged on the wood floor looking at her comrades.

"So you're an alien and you're a magic wielder?"

Her new teammates nodded.

Lizzy grinned which made her eyes sparkle with excitement. "Cool, but I bet you can't guess what I am!" She challenged.

_"Are you also a magic wielder?" _Ezekiel asked.

"Nope"

"You're a shifter." Nightstar said confidently.

Lizzy pouted, that expression killed the light in her eyes. "How'd you know?"

"Your outfit, most shifters need clothes specially made for them."

"You're keen." Lizzy commented. "A useful skill in combat, but my abilities are perfect for attack and being able to sneak behind enemy lines." She bragged proudly of her skills.

_"I suppose will see these skills in training." _Ezekiel made his tone sound unsure of her abilites.

"You will." She guaranteed.

There conversation ended briefly. Ezekiel suddenly stood up and stepped away from his mysterious trunk. The door on the right wall closet to the door to their suite suddenly jerked open and his trunk slid on the floor into the room and the door slammed shut once it was safe inside.

"That wasn't very impressive." Lizzy commented. "What I can do is better than that silly trick."

You could tell that he was glaring at her from under his hood. _"My powers far exceed your abilities." _He spoke furiously in their heads.

"Really, you don't know the extent of how far I can shift forms. I'm the best shifter there is."

They heard a snorting noise come from their thoughts. Ezekiel was laughing at her. _"My skills I attained through strict practice. I mastered an art, a dark art that only the truly powerful are chosen to wield. Your skills come from a mutation. How is that worthy of respect? Every other mutated creature like you can do the same thing!"_

Lizzy jumped up and formed her hands into two fists. Metal spikes shot out of her knuckles, and her body seemed to grow more muscle, but that was slight change.

"Why don't we find out whose worthy of respect?" She challenged.

"You two quit it!" Nightstar spoke softly but with a very firm tone. She did not want someone to hear this. "Do you guys want to get in trouble?!"

_"No, and it would not be worth fighting her anyway." _Ezekiel sounded bored with this.

"Shut up Ezekiel!" Nightstar snapped. "Lizzy does deserve the same respect you give yourself! If you keep up that attitude this is going to be the worst team at this academy."

Someone cleared their throat at the doorway. Lizzy and Nightstar jumped, Ezekiel did not react at all, and they all looked at the new person.

"My apologies for interrupting your little spat, but which of the rooms isn't taken?"

WWWWWWW

"Are you kidding me?"

"No, get over to B-16 and meet your team." Nightwing told his disgruntled apprentice.

"You can't be serious? I've been going around doing all this detective work for you, and now you want to enroll me in this academy for junior heroes? My skills are better than that!

"No you still need some grooming. Your skills may show promise, but that's the stage there at, promise. You need to make that raw skill into true skill. I've decided you need a good strong team to handle the mission I've given you."

"You let me handle this on my own for the last few months-."

"That almost got you killed! You need someone at your side. A team is what you need, and as I said you still have a lot to learn."

"I became the new Robin when I was ten! That says a lot about what I can do! You know what I can do!"

"Well you are not the replacement Robin anymore. Here your classmates will know you as Damian Wayne. The only thing they'll know you for is that you're the son of Bruce Wayne, and you will never live up to your Father's name if you don't realize that your skills have to be limited. What you've done does not make you a hero."

Damian kicked the desk that Nightwing sat at. He turned away and breathed deeply letting his frustration loose. He only turned back when he was calm.

"Who is on this team? What are their abilities?"

Nightwing opened up a folder and threw a papers with pictures attached over to Damian.

"The one you're looking at now is Ezekiel. He's a very powerful spell caster. He was raised by a very dark cult, with very gruesome practices. He was cast out though for an indiscretion he committed. We do believe him to be reformed."

Damian leafed through Ezekiel's file briefly. He was satisfied with what he saw. When he saw the identity of his next teammate he was immediately wary.

"Elizabeth Thorton. How was she admitted here? You know her connections to that lunatic, and you let her enroll here!"

"She is a trustworthy ally. Elizabeth was the one who helped us shut that place down. Without her it could not have happened."

"Fine, she'll do." Damian moved on to the next file, but there was only a picture and a registration form.

"This is all you have on this girl."

"We know nothing about her except that she's aTameranian and that she has chosen to enroll here. Find out Nightstar's background on your own if you want."

"She may not be strong enough to fit in on this team."

"Well you don't know yet if the other members will be good enough for you either." Nightwing pointed out. "Give each of them a chance, and if you and your team show what I need to send you back out on that mission."

"What happens if they don't work out? Will you give me better people?"

"No, I'd give the mission to a better team than yours."

WWWWWWW

The final teammate that had now come was a boy taller than all three his teammates. He had short spiky black hair. He was slightly tan. His eyes were covered by a black and white mask. His suit was incredibly similar to the iconic Robin suit, but his carried its own originality. The tights and sleeves were grey, the part that covered his strong chest was still red with black seams, no yellow strings to hold it together, the cape was still yellow inside and out, but with a black hood attached to the neck, and of course it had the same utility belt. The most notable difference was the missing R patch from the breast of the suit.

"The name is Damian." He introduced himself to them. "Don't bother with your names I know who you each of you are."

He moved to the right corner room left open for the last teammate. His teammates were embarrassed by the display of aggression and stood quietly, well only two were, Ezekiel barely cared.

Before he closed himself inside his room he said one last thing to them. "You guys better get your act together. I'm not going to waste my time here if this team can't even make it for just a few minutes. Even when you guys just met too." He slammed the door to his room, and the others went to their own as well to settle themselves inside.


	10. Team Bonding

Nightstar found it difficult to bond with her team.

The rest of the first day was spent in each of their own rooms arranging it all to their liking. When this part of moving in was done they all felt it would be rude to stay locked up inside instead of socializing with their roommates.

Lizzy was nice enough but very blunt, but she definitely seemed like a fun person. She was the easiest to get along with for Nightstar, but soon she was taken away by a phone call to their suite.

Each suite was given one telephone and one computer for updates and training/class schedule. It also served to alert them to any missions they'd be given the chance to do.

The phone was first answered eagerly by Damien, but was disappointed to learn from Nightwing that it was not for him. He handed it to Lizzy who said a simple hello and listened quietly for a moment, and then hung up quickly and left the suite saying she had to go talk about an error with her information with one of the supervisors.

Nightstar noticed how Damien rolled his eyes as if her excuse was lame. It made her wonder how much he knew about them, and what Lizzy was really up to.

Damien and Ezekiel made their own excuses after Lizzy. Ezekial needed to study to keep up his skills. This sounded legitimate enough. Damien stated that he needed to go speak with someone and left hastily out the door.

Nightstar was left alone in the main room. There was nothing of interest in the main room so she slipped into her own room and closed the door behind her. She locked the door and closed the curtains over her window, only turning on a floor lamp in her room. Finally Nightstar pulled out from her duffle bag an old brown shoe box and placed it on her bed and pulled off the lid carefully.

She stared down at the contents of the box and almost felt like crying. Everything her Mother had left her was left in this little shoe box. Her only inheritance, but it held nothing of the life she and her Mother had. No photos of them together, only two from her time as a Titan.

"Why couldn't you leave me something? Anything to remember the time we were together Mom?" This frustrated her more than anything. It always made her wonder if she had any happy loving memories of her Mother hidden away.

Did she love me?

Did I love her?

Who is my Father?

What happened to you Mom?

More questions came to her every day, but the one that pestered her all the time was why she barely remembered a thing from their time together?

What happened to me the day you disappeared?

"Mom where are you?" She whispered desolately to the empty room.

WWWWWWWWW

_"Felicity, stop pouting." A man scolded his daughter._

_"Father" She said reverently. "You know I am bored. When shall I have a new assignment?"_

_"Things are not changing soon Felicity."_

_"I could get Elizabeth if that is-."_

_"Stop it! You failed to control her! Your inability to control her allowed her to betray our family."_

_Felicity's eyes were burning anger now, but she held it in. She did not feel this seething rage toward him, but towards her half-sister Elizabeth._

_She bent her head and kept her eyes to the floor, and said humbly "Forgive me Father. I only hate to be a disappointment in your eyes. I will prove my loyalty and regain control of her again when the time is right." _

_He sighed heavily, and placed his hands on his child's shoulders. "I hope to see that as well. Go to bed now, sleep, and if a task for you comes I shall inform you." The man turned away from his daughter and left her alone in the room._

_When he was gone she wanted to scream out all her rage, but she held it in as she did a moment ago._

_"I hate you Elizabeth!" She cried passionately in thought. "I hope to see you dead beneath my feet so Father may see who is indeed the most powerful of his children. I will enjoy every second of your death, but before that I'll enjoy your face as you see me kill your weak little twin first. Hah! You'll beg me to spare her, but I won't. You know Father won't care for her loss, I bet he'd encourage it too. The strong survive while the weak die as he always says."_

_A phone rang in Father's office. Felicity stayed where she was in the hopes it was an assignment. _

_Her hope proved to be true._

_Her Father answered and spoke quickly before he called Felicity into his office._

_She came in smiling innocently waiting for the word._

_"Felicity, Bio-Corp is moving back into Jump City. Slade wishes to speak with us about a task he needs done." _

_WWWWWWWW_

Now the new team had a chance to bond during training time.

Everyone was outside in the mini outdoor gym.

However in the first team vs. team fight, they failed miserably. They were all lectured immediately for their inability to mingle with each other. Today they had the pleasure of being lectured by all four of their supervisors.

Ezekiel focused more on the creation of his spells instead of his team's whereabouts in the fight.

Lizzy was busy looking for a chance to fight instead of defending a teammate in need of time for their chance to get a hit in.

Damien just tried to handle it all by himself instead of teaming up with of his fellows.

Nightstar, they felt, was holding back what she could really do which did not help the situation one bit.

"I have an idea." Nightwing finally stated after a moment of cruel silence from their teachers as they waited to be reprimanded some more. "Why don't we let each one of you fight solo against one member of a different team. That way you can show off your abilities, and your teammates will see what you can do. After training though you will have to have bonding session to really set it in."

Three of them groaned while one rolled his eyes under his hood.

"Ezekiel can go first." Cyborg said. "Then Lizzy, Damien, and finally Nightstar."

_"Who is my challenger?" _He breathed the words aloud in Cyborg's head. The rest of his team moved to the front benches.

Cyborg did his best not to shudder, he glance around quickly for a strong opponent. "Ummmm…Hey Echo!" He pointed to a tall girl with short curly brown hair that cover a small square head that held two light green eyes. "We need a challenger you up for it?"

"Sure!" She jumped up eagerly wanting the chance to show off badly. "What type are you?" She asked Ezekiel as she came to the center ring of the black top.

_"Magic"_

Echo's eyes widened, but she gave a quick nod and stated her own abilities. "Sound"

_"Your name says it all." _He replied.

Her eyes narrowed making them look icy. "What's Ezekiel mean anyway? Weird name if you ask me."

_"'God strengthens' is its meaning, and my god gives me all the strength I need."_

"Whatever, can we fight yet?" Echo asked Cyborg.

"Start whenever you want you two." Cyborg answered.

"Sounds like they already have." Beast Boy said to Cyborg.

Echo waited for Ezekiel to make the first move.

Ezekiel took a few steps away from Echo and sat down cross legged on the ground.

"Ezekiel, what the heck are you doing?" Damien yelled.

Ezekiel ignored him, and bent his head as though he were in prayer.

"Get up before she gets you!" Lizzy added on too.

"Be quiet!" Nightstar snapped at them. They glanced at her like she was crazy. "Let's see what he's going to do."

Echo started to laugh. "Give up already!" She jeered. "That's just perfect. This'll be quick." She smirked as she pulled in a huge breath of air, and then the screeching began.

It was like a banshee from hell was summoned to pierce everyone's eardrums with a sharp spike. Her cries made everyone on the benches cover their ears to protect themselves from her wail.

Everyone cringed except Ezekiel. He was wrapped up in a cone of light that blocked at all the noise around him. A temporary defense until he came up with an attack strong enough to make him victor.

_A temporary curse will have to do. She only has an offensive ability it seems, no defense ability to protect herself. A silencer curse should end this quickly. I'll just need to catch her unaware. To do this I will have to drop the shield for it to get to her, but I have to do it when she is not screaming or else I will not be able to think. _

_Hmmmmm_

Ezekiel looked up at her and observed her wailing. It seemed to weaken as she screeched on and on.

_When she runs out of breath she will need to take in a new one. I'll wait for that moment to cast my spell._

However her cries were being to make cracks in his shield. He hoped dearly that she would run out of breath soon.

_She's reaching her limit, but my shield is falling apart fast._

_"You will win." A soft voice spoke to him. "I have faith in you always…Ezekiel."_

The voice that spoke, the one he cherished hearing, gave him new strength. Enough strength that his shield mended itself instantly once the loving voice faded away.

All who sat on the benches were amazed that he was able to do that. Especially his teacher Raven who smiled in approval, a rare thing from her.

Echo noticed too, and knew then she would lose. Her need for fresh air was coming quick. In just a moment her cries stopped and she tried to be quick as she pulled in the air in front of her quickly.

Ezekiel was ready for her to breath. The moment he saw her beginning to pull in the air, he dropped the shield, and his spell he set into motion in an instant.

He pulled back his hood, and then everyone gasped at his face. Ezekiel had bronze skin, his head was bald except for the intricate tattoos that covered his scalp, his eyes were silver with hidden rainbows that shined in light, and the most gruesome part of his face was his mouth. His lips were sewn shut with thick pure black string.

His fingers traced those stitches and as they pulled away it seemed he was pulling some of the thread away with just his fingertips. Then his hand shot out away from him, his two first fingers pointed, the little black thread he produced shot out like a bullet at Echo.

Echo was stopped mid breath when she saw his peculiar attack spell. Then when it reached her she began screaming again, but this time in terror.

The thread was weaving itself in and out between her lips, not even piercing just sliding straight through, and sealing them up tight.

When her lips were tied she clawed at the string trying to pull it away. Cyborg then stepped in the middle of the ring and yelled. "Since Echo cannot attack I decide that Ezekiel has won this match."

When this was said the stitches on her mouth disappeared in a poof of black smoke.

_"As you can see," _He spoke in her thoughts _"the ones I gave you were temporary, unlike mine."_ He traced his fingers over his again.

Echo only shuddered and ran back to her team on the benches.

_"Thank you Semira." _He said to the vanished voice.

Raven walked to him as he left the ring. "A very good job with your shield Ezekiel, and that spell you used at the end was equally impressive."

_"Thank you." _He said respectfully.

"I look forward to seeing the rest of your spells in my class." She then went back to join her team.

_"You're up Lizzy."_

"About time!" Lizzy jumped up and Ezekiel took her spot as she walked off to the ring. "Wait till you guys see the full extent of my skills."

WWWWWWWWW

_Slade was busy entertaining three guests at his hideout. They arrived quickly to provide their services to Slade. Two of the guests were girls, both sisters, but only related by to each other by their Father. The older one was Felicity, with dark auburn hair and a tan complexion, and light crystal blue eyes. Her younger sister, Isabella, was sickly pale with blonde hair tied up in a ponytail, and brown eyes that were so dull they seemed dead._

_The third guest was their Father, Dr. Luke Thorton. A tall man who looked much like his daughter Felicity, auburn hair with blue eyes, but much broader than her slim figure._

_"Dr. Thorton I am glad to see you." They shook hands while the girls stood quietly to the side._

_"It has been some time since we last saw each other." Dr. Thorton replied. "When we found that_ _woman _you_ were looking for." _

_"Yes, it was, it is good that I have moved past that little skirmish we had."_

_"Yes it is, what do you wish from us today Slade?"_

_"That woman you were so interested in…"_

_"Yes, does she still live?"_

_"I take excellent care of her. I need answers to certain questions I have, after that I'd like to make a deal with you."_

_"What sort of deal Slade?"_

_"You see I need answers and I need an army to get what I've been looking for. If you provide me those I'll give you her."_

_Dr. Thorton was excited now._

"_You mean you'll give her to me? Oh Slade I'll give the strongest that I have and more. Weapons too! I'm glad I am forgiven, but please may I have one of my specialists examine her. I want to be sure she is in excellent health. I would not want anything to tamper with her pure genetics."_

"_That would be acceptable. In fact I will allow you to see her now if you wish."_

"_I would like that very much Slade." _

"_Vincent!" His old butler came shuffling in. "Take Dr. Thorton to the prison cells, so that he may see his new acquisition."_

"_Yes sir. Follow me Dr. Thorton." He guided Thorton away to the lower levels of Slade's lair._

_Slade was now left alone with the two sisters._

"_Ladies, you've both grown up since the last time I saw you two."_

"_We certainly have Slade; especially Isabella, almost a young woman now." She smiled charmingly._

_"Your younger siblings are doing well too?"_

_"Oh yes, they are all in excellent health."_

_Isabella nodded in agreement._

_"And have you heard from Elizabeth? Or know of her doings?"_

_Isabella flinched at the mention of her twin. Felicity frowned, upset that this family matter was brought up._

_"We do not hear from her now, but we keep watch on her actions."_

_"It must be difficult to deal with, especially for your Father, being betrayed by family."_

_"Well he'll move on." She said harshly. "When we complete this mission and he claims a new Mother we have a new little brother or sister to look forward to." _

_WWWWWWWWW_

Lizzy strode to the center of the blacktop they fought on, all the while keeping her brave face on. No one could tell from her cocky grin that she was still severely stressed by her previous life. The only indicator would be how her dull eyes did not match her arrogant grin.

_"Damn it! I got quit it this tough act and get along with this team." Mental sigh. "Let's just get this over with and then I'll handle all the other shit I have to deal with. Just focus on the orders and do as the task requi-." Mental slap to the face. "Not like that; don't say it like that, never say it like him!"_

"Hey Lizzy! Focus!" Damian shouted from the bench. "They already called up your opponent."

Lizzy had drifted to far away in her thoughts. She looked up to see her opponent standing across from her.

Another girl, only this one was a definite magic user. She looked like a gothic gypsy. Her long skirt was a glowing dark green with black flowered lace covering the rich color. Her torso was constricted in a black corset covered by a shiny black beaded sweater; the knot for it tied between her breasts and the sleeves split and fanning out around her forearms. Wrapped around her waist was a belt with one leather pocket attached to hold an object yet to be seen.

Her skin was tan and smooth. Her eyes were a cloudy grey blue with a ring of yellow-green around the pupil. Her hair was dirty blond and was plaited elegantly on her head. Her rosey lips curved slyly as she observed Lizzy.

Now having Lizzy's full attention she introduced herself. "They call me Tarot."

"Magic user?" Lizzy wondered.

Tarot nodded.

Lizzy smiled in a friendly manner. "I'm a shifter."

"The first I've ever faced." Tarot murmured.

"Then I'll show you how tough we can be." Lizzy said crouching down like she was about to pounce.

Tarot prepared herself by pulling out the hidden object from the pocket on her belt. Now she held her main weapon in her hand…a deck of cards!

Some people started to snicker as they watched Tarot shuffle her cards. Lizzy did not giggle at this so fearsome weapon; she knew almost anything could be a weapon.

Tarot drew one card from the deck and looked at it for a moment. Then she showed it to Lizzy.

"The Emperor," She explained "and in reverse too." The card was upside down. It had a picture of a man wearing a crown, holding a scepter in one hand, and wearing royal robes.

"It tells me that your life was once ruled by a tyrannical man." She threw it down on the ground and it landed face up. She then pulled another card from her deck. "The Lovers." She showed a young man and woman holding hands looking to each other affectionately. "He made you decide. A tough decision, where you had to choose what was logical or what you believed in." She kept on drawing and throwing them down on the ground, always landing face up, while Lizzy watched puzzled.

"Your lover was The Knight of Swords. So clever and brave, but he left you so quickly only leaving troubles for you in the future." Another card drawn "The Tower, you changed your old ways so dramatically, but luckily it gave you freedom." The final card she pulled "Death, you face change in your future, painful change." She threw it down with the others and then paused like she waiting for something to happen.

Lizzy raised an eyebrow.

_I want to fight, not get a vague tarot reading about my life. What a waste. Is that all she's got? Ugh, let's get this over with._

Lizzy decided to just change her body instead of morphing into some other being. She made herself taller than Tarot then built up her arm muscles so Tarot would not be able to escape her grip, and for precaution she evolved her eyes in case Tarot had some sort of movement ability she did not know of yet and she would need keener eyes to observe it closely.

She rushed forward at high speed ready to pin Tarot down and win the fight.

Tarot was watching her attacker charge; she smiled and yelled "Find me!"

Lizzy was close to knocking her down, but something shoved her back a few feet and she fell back on to the ground.

"What the he-." Her curse was cut short by what she saw in front of her.

The Emperor was standing in Tarot's place. His escape from the card was not what shocked her though. It was his appearance; his hair was dark auburn, pale crystal blue eyes, and a tan complexion. It was her Father.

"How? How are you here?" She cried.

Those on the benches were confused too. They could not see what Lizzy saw. Her team was especially worried since Tarot was not far away from Lizzy.

"What's going on?" Nightstar asked. "Ezekiel, can you tell us what's happening?"

_"Yes, I can see the illusions Tarot casted. Very strong…it will be difficult for Lizzy to find which one Tarot is hiding in."_

"There are others?"

_"Each card is an illusion, a personal illusion of Lizzy's life."_

"She better figure it out." Damian muttered.

Lizzy looked around at each illusion.

A young man was on a white steed with a woman holding on to him. The man pierced Lizzy's heart painfully. Everything she saw brought back her cherished memories that hurt her to recollect. His long dark hair that curled around his face and the light blue eyes with hazel wrapped around the pupil. The girl was herself, but this version of her reminded her, and frightened her, of how she used to be. How she was made to be cold and gullible.

The Lizzy on the horse carried no weapon, but the man held a sword he was ready to slash.

The tower card had turned into a great tall tower repeatedly being struck by lightning and caught aflame. This one only made her feel shocked by how real it was; the sound of the crumbling lightning and the heat of the fire.

The last one petrified her. This card come to life, Death, was the most perfect representative from her life. The woman that rode the white steed with the red eyes wore black armor with the visor up. Her face was sucked in and boney. Her light brown hair was thinning and her eyes carried heavy bags.

The Emperor revered Death looking to her, and bowing.

"Of course you'd do that Father. She's the favorite." Lizzy said bitterly to The Emperor.

_Crap! Freaking illusions! Jeesh they picked the one person I'd have the most difficulty beating. (Sigh) Analyze the situation; she has to be hiding somewhere._

Lizzy turned around trying to think who Tarot could be disguised as, but Tarot was not waiting to be found. The Knight of Swords and his Lady dashed forward on his steed, and his sword flew towards her neck. Lizzy flipped backwards avoiding the deadly cut realizing after she landed there was no way an illusion could hurt her. All it could do was psych her out.

Lizzy rushed forward and through The Knight of Swords. Her fist formed growing larger and becoming hard as rock. She charged at The Emperor remembering that when she first charged he knocked her down. Tarot had to be disguised as him for that to be possible. However she just passed through him like she had with the Knight.

When she turned back around The Emperor came at her with his scepter, and it actually hit her. It swiped across her forward and knocked her back down on the ground.

"Did you think this little mind trick could not hurt you? As long as I'm with it, it can hurt you." Tarot's voice cried out.

Lizzy listened and knew Tarot was no longer with the Emperor.

_She can change places quickly. Damn it! I got to find a way to follow her movements, or at least figure where she goes to watch me when I'm not attacking._

Lizzy brainstormed for a logical strategy.

_These are my illusions. Only I can see them because I know the people who represent them. Except that Tower, that one's just there._

_I can see them, but the audience can't. They can only see Tarot and I. My team will most likely be looking at me, but everyone else could be looking at either of us._

Lizzy searched for the eyes on the benches that could point her in the direction of her opponent. Some eyes wandered away bored, others stared at her wondering her next move, and the ones she wanted were staring in admiration at Tarot. One of those pair pointed to the Tower.

_Of course, The Emperor, The Lovers/ Knight of Swords, and Death are distracters. She hides in the Tower when not attacking. _

_I can't attack yet. If I do she'll move, but if I can get her to switch back after attacking me, then I'll get her._

Lizzy decided to go for death this time since she seemed to carry no weapon of her own. Lizzy this time decided to go animal and changed into a mountain lion. Her lion form rushed forward and leaped at Death's horse trying to claw it, but the horse reared up and kicked her with its front legs.

Tarot had appeared there, and would be back in the Tower now so Lizzy switched direction and ran dead on to the Tower, where her opponent just returned to. Lizzy knocked Tarot over, and when she was down she hopped up and held her down with her paws and growled, making Tarot shake.

"The winner is Lizzy!" Cyborg yelled. "Get off her and back to your bench!" He yelled at Lizzy. She hopped off and walked back on all fours to her team. She changed back when she reached the bench and sat down next to Nightstar.

"Good job Liz!" Nightstar patted her on the back.

_"Indeed, I believe I may have been wrong about you."_

"Thanks Ezekiel," It was the closest thing to a complement she could get from him. "Better head up Damian." She informed.

"Yeah" Damian got up headed over to Cyborg who was helping Tarot up from the ground.

"Alright miss?" Cyborg asked.

"Very well sir, I was able to hint the importance of my opponent's future, and now all shall be well." Tarot foretold. Then she walked off dramatically to her bench.

Damian rolled his eyes as he watched her walk away. "What a fraud."

"Let' see." Cyborg muttered as he scanned the benches for the third opponent.

"Hey! You there!" He pointed to a slim Tameranian girl. "What's your name?"

"Sky Moon" She answered back to him.

"Come on up Sky, you're facing Damian in this match."

Damian looked her up and down; he found it hard to look away from her. Her light red/brown hair was tied back by some sort of metal cuff it looked like. She wore a purple mini skirt with triangle silver flaps on it. Her top was like a tube top, a tight light purple tube top with a silver border. Her eyes were pale green that held no twinkle in the iris. Eyes that held a serious determination that challenged his own.

Damian pulled out his staff, and swung it around his shoulders and got into his stance to intimidate.

Sky Moon made no sign as to what she thought of this display of confidence. She only walked to the center, her eyes staying on him the whole time, and waited for the signal to start.

"Begin!"

Damian charged forward ready to strike. _I've got this one in the bag!_

As soon he was in arms reach of her she did a quick leap and was behind him, she spun quickly around to his backside and reached around with quick reflexes, she did not grab him, she grabbed either end of his metal staff. Sky jerked it easily out of his hands, and bent it all around his torso trapping his arms in a makeshift straight jacket.

"Sky is the winner!" Cyborg announced. "She had Damian impaired in less than 10 seconds!"

Damian cursed at himself.

Sky walked around to face Damian. She smiled a little in amusement and then moved to unwind Damian's staff and bend it back to its original form. While doing so she spoke coldly about his team.

"You will need to grow in strength. You will face difficulties," then she glanced at Nightstar on the bench deliberately "especially with a Troq on your team." Then she walked away proudly leaving his weapon in his hands where they originally were.

Damian glanced between Sky and Nightstar quickly, wondering how she could say that about a fellow Tameranian. He noticed then the differences. Sky had an orange tone while Nightstar was almost as pale as snow. Her hair was dark like night, but he had seen a few Tameranian's with similar shades of hair like hers, it was not common trait though. Sky's eyes were the common color of Tameran, but Nighstar, he could not see her eyes passed her curtain of bangs.

_What's the difference? Besides skin, or is that just it? _

"Nightstar! Come on up!" Beast Boy shouted.

She stood up and walked to the middle of the black top. When she passed by Damian she glanced at him and saw him scrutinizing her closely. Nightstar knew he would not see her staring at him so she stared straight back without him even knowing.

"Who would be good for her?" Cyborg whispered to Beast Boy.

"I'm not sure." Beast Boy answered.

"I have an idea." Nightwing interjected. "Galffin you're up!" He called to another Tameranian. The difference between him and Sky was size. He was wide and tall and with thick muscles bulging out of his legs and arms. Nightstar was almost the same size as Sky so she was dwarfed by comparison.

"Oh God…she's dead." Lizzy decided instantly.

_"Let us see what happens." _Ezekiel thought to her and Damian beside him.


	11. Revealing

Nightstar sighed as she waited for Galffin to come over fort their match. She could tell how she failed at standing out here.

Truthfully she did hold back intentionally. Nightstar was afraid too much attention would distract her from her real reason for being here. Finding out what happened to separate her from her Mother.

It was just that one day though that was strange. Something happened. She vaguely remembered a few things from before that day when she was alone in the woods. Nightstar knew something had to have happened that day, but it felt…blocked out.

_This really sucks!_

Then she returned back to the situation she was in at the moment. Galffin was staring her down while Cyborg began to commence the fight.

"Nightstar, Galffin, a good clean fight is all I want. Okay?" Cyborg told them.

"Understood" Galffin responded revealing his deep voice.

Nightstar nodded.

"Alright then, go!" He called jumping back to give then room.

Galffin immediately charged his fist ready to get the first hit. Nightstar, being the one with the advantage of speed, dodged out of the way making Galffin rush forward while his opponent was in his blind spot.

Nightstar attempted a powerful kick to knock him down, but Galffin was quick too and before she could even tap him he had her by the ankle and swung her around until he threw her down on the ground, denting the blacktop immediately.

Her team cringed when they saw that move down on her.

Damian described it with a simile. "He's fights her like a kid playing with a rag doll."

Nightstar got up, her body looked a little scratched, but her eyes blazed with determination that made it seem like the possible pain was only a slight distraction to her.

_"An indestructible rag doll" Ezekiel added._

Galffin formed both his fist into a hammer that flew downward to strike her, but the nail was fighting back now. She caught his bear paws in her petite hands. He still tried to push her down, but Nightstar held onto her will and soon got a grip on his hands that she flung him to the other side of the court; smashing down into black top causing damage similar to his first assault.

"A rag doll that can fight back!" Lizzy exclaimed. "Whooo-hoo! Go Nightstar!"

Nightstar was huffing a little. Galffin was strong, but she had fierce determination to win this fight.

Cyborg began counting to ten. Galffin had not gotten up yet, and if did not soon Nightstar would be winning.

"-7…8…9….10! Galffin is down Nightstar wins!" Cyborg shouted.

Galffin was slowly getting up from the ground. Cyborg went over to Nightstar raising his hand up for a high five.

"Way to go little lady!" Nightstar returned the high five grinning widely at her teacher's praise. "Good job! I knew you-." Galffin's fist came out of nowhere attacking Nightstar in the face. Nightstar landed on her side and when she propped herself up she stared in anger at Galffin.

"What the heck?" She yelled at him. "The fight is over!" Nightstar got up, but kept a close eye on his movements as she did.

"Galffin, that was taking it too far. Go sit down on the bench and cool off." Cyborg told him.

Galffin showed his respect to his teacher by shoving him down too. The other teachers immediately went to their friend's side.

Galffin kept moving towards Nightstar shouting out "I refuse to lose to this Troq! To prove my true strength, I will kill her here!"

Nightstar's eyes widened. "What is wrong with you?" She whispered in shock. He had heard her and responded "I will not lose to a half Tameranian when my blood is pure." He said it quiet enough that she only heard.

Her eyes narrowed ready to strike back at him when he made his move, but she worried how long she would be able to last. He had gotten her first in their fight and she was aching, plus she had to pull a lot of strength for her last attack.

_How much longer will he last? He seems to have endless strength._

Nightstar then realized she had one attack that he could not be able to beat.

_Should I? I could-._

She snapped out of thinking when he began charging roaring "Die!" Nightstar crossed her arms like a shield, bracing herself for the attack.

When he was about an inch away from her he was pushed back by an actual glowing barrier. Then he was being tackled down by a tiger the size of a horse.

"What?" She wondered. Then she glanced at her team's bench and saw it was empty, except for Ezekiel he was casting the defense spell around her.

"Are you okay?" Damian popped up by her side holding his staff out in case Galffin escaped the tiger attack.

Nightstar would have told him she was fine, but Galffin threw tiger Lizzy of him and at the shield Ezekiel could only keep up temporarily. The shield shattered with the weight of the oversized kitty. Galffin charged again, but Damian attempted to hold him back. He was a distraction, unfortunately a quick one for Galffin. Damian popped up everywhere every other second smacking Galffin every chance he got.

Galffin eventually caught Damian by his cape and threw him off to the side then he grinned sickly at the defenseless Nightstar.

_I could expose who I am, but I have to!_

Galffin charged at her.

Nightstar flicked her bangs back exposing for once her eyes.

Galffin continued to charge, until he saw her-.

Nightstar's eyes glowed bright green before her fists were surrounded by orbs of the same green light that emanated from her eyes.

Galffin paused and tried to retreat when he saw the rare power glaring deathly at him.

Nightstar knocked him back with first with starbolts from her hands. He could not block them. When he was close to toppling over she finished it with her powerful streams of strabolts shooting out her pair of green eyes. Once he was down she fell to her knee and huffed breaths quickly.

Most of the other students, including Nightstar's team, found that display of power surprising coming from her. Not that she was not strong she just came off as average at first to them. Now she was someone that stood out.

The original Titan Team was scrutinizing her, especially Nightwing. They saw similarities in her ability that reminded them an old friend of theirs.

Training was cancelled for the afternoon and classes later in the day were postponed too.

The Titan's Team first expelled Galffin and escorted him off school grounds.

Nightwing then divided up the attacked team. Ezekiel took Nightstar to the infirmary by Nightwing's orders. Damian and Lizzy then followed Nightwing to his office. They thought he wanted to discuss the earlier events.

"Sir, why do you need to speak with us about this? Galffin's been expelled." Lizzy asked as they took a seat in front of his desk.

"This is not about that." Nightwing told her.

Lizzy looked surprised. "It's not? Then why are Damian and I here?"

"Nightwing what is this about?" Damian asked bluntly. He wanted to go check up on Nightstar and Ezekial in the infirmary.

Nightwing stared them both down before he began to make them go quiet. "First off, what I am about to say stays between us. Only us, you two are not allowed to discuss this with your teammates."

"What?" Lizzy stood up outraged at that suggestion.

"Fine." Damian stated.

"Damian?" Lizzy gaped at him. "How can you do that so easily? Nightwing I can't-."

"Lizzy!" Nightwing interjected. "It concerns your Father."

That made Lizzy wince when he mentioned her Father, but then the hurt she felt when hearing that word, Father, changed to seething anger. Lizzy instantly calmed and turned serious. She sat back down slowly saying "I apologize for that. I will listen now and keep this private too." She sat up straight keeping herself stiff as possible.

"Is mentioning your Dad like taboo or something for you?"

Lizzy did not respond to him but asked Nightwing "What is my Father doing?"

Nightwing sighed. He saw how hard it was for her? "We have information that Dr. Thorton has moved back into Jump City."

"That's impossible." Lizzy immediately said. "Slade told him about 10 years ago never to step a foot back in Jump City."

"Why was that?"

"Slade felt that Father was overstepping onto Slade's territory. He told him to find a new city and all would be fine."

"Your Father answers to Slade?" Damian asked.

"Slade was a fan of Father's…work. He was often a customer." Lizzy's anger was growing when thinking of Father's work.

"Well Lizzy, what my sources tell me is that Dr. Thorton was invited back to this city by Slade." Nightwing explained. "Why would that be?"

It was not a hard question to answer, but for what she was thinking she needed a question answered. "What do your sources say about the whereabouts of my siblings?"

"They say Felicity and Isabella are with your Father, as to your other siblings their whereabouts are unknown."

"They're in the city as well." Lizzy answered.

Nightwing looked at her skeptically then. "How would you know that?"

"Isabella…stays with them wherever they are. If she is here then my younger siblings must be too." She could see their faces flashing quickly in her head.

"Then what do you think your Father is up to?"

Lizzy sighed. "Slade has hired Father for something…something big if everyone is here."

"What would the whole family do?"

"We would be an army. Us…them as the main fighters, and whatever advancement Father has made in droids to attack while they finish off the enemy."

"Then the Titans would be their target then?"

"Most definitely." Lizzy answered very sure of that.

Nightwing nodded. "Okay and now to why I brought you both here." Nightwing began. "Lizzy, would your Father send in a spy to scope out the tower?"

Lizzy thought about that and said "It is possible. He has done that before with other invasions. Isabella or I being the spy's in those situations"

"It is also true that your Father has an obsession with other life forms; especially ones rich with the genes of their kind."

"Yes he is." Lizzy answered.

"Damian, you constantly came to a dead end with the mystery I gave you." Nightwing changed the subject quickly muddling the point again.

Damian nodded reluctantly. "It will be solved though."

Nightwing turned back to Lizzy. "How easily does your Father make people disappear?"

"With the women he obtains their disappearance is either noticed or unnoticed, but they are gone without a trace to locate them ever again."

Damian interrupted suddenly. "Wait! Are you thinking that Starfire was taken by Dr. Thorton 15 years ago?"

Lizzy looked at Nightwing and demanded to know. "How? What is your reasoning behind this theory?"

"What I think is that Dr. Thorton was interested in Starfire to be one of his…Mothers." Nightwing nearly growled when he said the last word. "He moves in on her and gets her."

"Nightwing you're forgetting that evidence suggested that Starfire left of her own will." Damian pointed out.

"The note she left suggested she left due to unknown threat. He could have been threatening her and telling her she had to come. Starfire then decided to try and run to keep the team safe, which I believe is what he was threatening."

"What about Slade's involvement?" Damian argued. "He attacked after she left trying to get her."

"I think I see where you're going with this Nightwing." Lizzy said suddenly. "You think my Father and Slade made a deal of some sorts. Slade wanted something and my Father always has a high price. Knowing that the Titans were watched constantly by Slade he asked for a trade for whatever Slade wanted from him."

"Exactly, Slade knows so much about the original Titan Team. What deals was your Father making 15 years ago?"

Lizzy laughed then loosening up from the tension she still felt. "How should I know? I'm 15. I was born when Strafire disappeared."

"Well then why did Slade make your Father leave Jump City?"

Lizzy thought back and told him what she has seen. She remembered him being particularly angry with Felicity that day they came home. He had some sort of task for her that day and…it went really bad. He was yelling that she was the reason he lost a faithful customer, and now they had to leave.

"What did Felicity do?" Nightwing questioned.

"I don't know. She and Father never spoke of any detail about it in front of me. What I assume is that whatever they were doing that day Slade was….furious about."

"Furious? How could you tell?" Damian asked.

"Slade tried to have us killed. When we were getting ready to leave Slade had sent some of his droids to our home and attacked us unmercifully. Isabella was almost killed." She explained choking up a little when mentioning her twin. "Father was able to disable them, especially since they were ones bought from him. We escaped and Slade let us keep our lives then."

"We are being sidetracked!" Damian yelled. "What the hell are you thinking Nightwing? I know Starfire's disappearance isn't what you want to tell us about."

"What I think is this." Nightwing took a deep breath. "A student here has an uncanny resemblance to Starfire. I believe that Dr. Thorton created this child 15 years ago when he got his hands on Starfire. That child is now a spy here at the academy for Slade to attack anytime now."

Silence filled the office as the two students absorbed his explanation. Lizzy was the first to speak, and now tears were in her voice as she asked. "Are you saying…a sibling of mine, one I do not know of, is here?"

"Yes she is here." Nightwing told her gently.

_She? Oh God…her life…with him alone in her life she must be…she never had a chance to grow into someone who saw him for what he is. She'll always be a slave to him. _"Who is she Nightwing?"

Nightwing did not answer.

"Please, I must know." She begged.

Nightwing sighed. "I'm sorry Lizzy." Another pause before he answered her. "She is your teammate."

"Nightstar?"

WWWWWWW

"Get yourself together!" Damian urged. "You can't be crying when were at the infirmary." Lizzy was in emotional distress. She was leaning against one of the grey walls holding back tears.

"I'm sorry. I just…I really have issues with this situation."

"I get that your Dad is a psycho, but we both need to figure out what they're planning. The only way to do that is to become buddies with Nightstar."

"I get that." Lizzy found his speech annoying which helped her to lose the tears. "I will be buddies with her. If she is my sister I will be a sister to her and get her thinking the right way."

"You doubt? It's the perfect explanation for what happened to Starfire. At least the best one we'll ever get."

"I know that, but…it seems different. I think it's just because she was never a part of our lives. Father kept her separate all this time, and I've never thought of the possibility that he would raise some of us away from our family."

"How many of you guys are there now?"

Lizzy chuckled a little. "A lot, Felicity is the oldest, then Isbella and I are second, and then I have 11 younger siblings. In total we are 14, but then again it would be 13 since I am no longer a member."

"And Nightstar too."

"No, she wouldn't really be, we never knew of her. The only one of us who would ever know would be Felicity, and she'd never tell if Father told her too."

"Yeah she's the most obsessed one right?"

"I'll talk about it later, probably when I will have to tell everyone here my family drama." Lizzy sighed. "This'll be an interesting school project."

"First one too, and we'll get more information than everyone else since the spy is on our team."

"About that how are we going to handle this?" Lizzy knew they had to figure things out before heading into this secret mission of theirs.

"You and her will be BFF, and I'll-."

Lizzy finished for him. "You'll woo her."

"What?"

"Come on, you're semi handsome and mysterious. I bet you're attractive too without the mask."

"The mask is an important part-."

"Blah blah blah." Lizzy interrupted. "It's stupid and so is that Robin uniform. No offense, but its better off as an iconic thing than uniform for this time. Seriously could you be original?" Lizzy began walking off then to the infirmary Damian followed beside her. "What is the point if we know your identity Damian?"

"You know what? I'll take your advice?" He peeled off his white and black mask revealing the upper half of his face.

WWWWWWWWW

Reivews please?


	12. Discoveries

"This is ridiculous!" Nightstar complained. She was laying in one of the cots in the new infirmary waiting for a nurse to come back with some results.

Ezekiel sat by her bedside. "_It'll be over soon, just let them-."_

"I'm not hurt! I don't need to be here!" They were running ridiculous test on her. They scanned her head (which had seemed reasonable, even though it was unlikely she had suffered trauma), then they took a blood sample, and began doing a regular physical on her. "They keep writing stuff down and then leaving with it! Shouldn't they be telling me about it?"

Ezekiel shrugged.

Nightstar sighed. "I need a distraction." She tried to think of something to talk about with the most reclusive of her team. "Can I ask you something a little personal?"

"_Proceed."_

"Why do have those tattoos and what's with the stitches on your mouth?" She was dying to know why he had gotten those.

"_Simple to answer, I originally belonged to a very dark society. My people live in a different realm attached to Earth. We are mainly observers and experimenters. We often practice spell casting, but with no limitations on what we can do. We often encourage mutilation to make ourselves more powerful. Some choose to have their arms cut off so they must learn levitation to function normally again. Other cut out their eyes to improve their awareness of other life forms, anything with life basically they'll be able to find. _

_ I chose one of the most severe disability's any magic wielder could have. Having my mouth sewn shut I am unable to chant spells others. Very few do this. Spell casting is easier with the use of voice, and you can still become powerful with the lack of some other part._

_ As for my tattoos, I would rather not get into that now. They are more personal." _

Nightstar nodded. _He might tell me some other time. _"Why aren't Lizzy and Damian here?"

_"They're coming in right now. Lizzy is going to pounce."_

"What-?" Lizzy slammed the sliding door into its slot. Grinning like the Joker she leaped landing crouched at the end of Nightstar's cot.

"Feeling okay Nightstar?" Lizzy tilted her head slightly to the side as she stared at her infirmed friend.

"I'm fine I just want to leave." Nightstar leaned her head back against her propped pillows.

"You shouldn't have been holding back like that with that match. You could've ended it quickly." Damian was already scolding her.

"Lay off me, will you!" She snapped staring at the ceiling. "I beat-." She was tilting her head back up to argue when she noticed his face was exposed. He could not see her eyes widen, but her silence was enough to tell him he surprised her.

His eyes were dark blue; the color was deeper than any other she had seen. It looked like it was etched in fine white lines that made it so much darker by comparison.

"Yeah," he answered "I'm losing the mask now. Other than that can I ask why the Tameranians here hate you so much?"

Nightstar crossed her arms. "What's it to you?"

"Two of them seem to really hate you. First my opponent made a comment, and then yours tried to kill you. What is with that?"

Nighstar sighed and confessed to them that her Father was a human, and they hated half breeds like her.

"So then they must outcast your Mom too. I mean she did do it with a-."

"Shut up! Are you doing this purposely to piss me off?" Nightstar hopped of the bed muttering she wasn't going to stay here anymore waiting for the nurse. "My Mother left me and my Father has never been in my life. Hell, I don't even know who he is!" She walked out slamming the sliding door back into place.

Nightstar went back to their suite and into her room. She jumped on the bed landing on her belly. She smothered her face in the pillows as she cried.

Nightstar was getting frustrated with the mystery of her Mother's disappearance. The only thing not mysterious about it was the identity of her Father. True she did not know for sure, but all the stories she heard pointed in the direction of Nightwing. Besides how close he was to Starfire she did have a few similar traits. The black hair and pasty pale skin, plus their attitudes were both bleak.

Someone knocked on her door.

"Go away!" She yelled.

The person turned the door knob anyway. Damian stepped in cautiously.

_Not cautious enough! _She blasted a starbolt at him sending him flying back and into the couch.

Nightstar got up and walked to her doorway. He stared up looking resigned.

"I just want to say sorry!" He blurted before she could zap him again. "I'm sorry I said all that stuff!" He added when he saw her pause.

Nightstar's glowing eyes narrowed but she extinguished her starbolts and let her eyes dim.

"I'll accept your apology." She said darkly. "Just don't ever mention anything concerning that subject again!" She warned.

"Look I can understand! My Dad didn't come into my life quick enough for me to trust him, and my Mom is the one who left me to him. I don't know what happened to her after that."

"Whatever Damian, it may be similar to my situation, but it's a lot different, and I doubt anyone can help me with it."

"You can talk to me if you want." He told her. "I know Lizzy has Daddy issues too, but I think ours are the most relatable."

Nightstar rolled her eyes.

"You know those bangs are really annoying." He suddenly commented. "You can't read someone's face unless their eyes are showing. You should get them trimmed."

"Shut up." She said annoyed. "I'm tired of people saying that."

"Well you should. I mean come on do you want them to get burned when you use those eye bolts?"

Nightstar smirked. "Who said I was going to use them again?"

"They're powerful why wouldn't you use them?"

"I hate my eyes and I never want to see them."

Damian looked amused at her hate for her eyes. He strolled closer to her and stood closer than a foot away. He pushed up her bangs and laughed when she closed her eyes tightly. "Come on!" He said jokingly. "I want to see these horrible eyes."

Nightstar kept them shut wondering why he had to stand so close to her.

"Please?" He asked sweetly.

Nightstar sighed. "Fine." _At least it'll get him to step away from me. _Nightstar opened her eyes slowly and held them wide for a moment. She wanted to blink, but the way he stared stopped her from even thinking of that.

_So those are the same eyes Nightwing fell in love with? No wonder._

Damian knew Starfire was known to be the one woman in Jump City with the most beautiful pair of sparkling eyes. Now he knew her eyes were definitely the most beautiful on Earth as Nightwing always said when reminiscing about her.

_No, Nightstar's eyes are the most beautiful._

"Damian would you please let my bangs down?" Nightstar practically begged. She needed to escape his eyes now. _Too blue, too blue!_

He did not hear her desperate need for refuge from him, but he let her bangs go and awkwardly turned away.

Her bangs were lying on the bridge of her nose and on the sides of her eyes. Eyes still being exposed Nightstar brushed them back over in place.

_I am not getting them cut!_

"I'm going to go change." Damian said walking into his room and closing the door silently behind him.

_Oh my god, what is happening? _Nightstar felt out of breath and dark blush spread over her cheeks. She breathed a few deep breaths to calm her, but she still felt incredibly anxious about….what?

The phone rang. Nightstar rushed to answer it.

"H-hello!" She said flustered.

No reply to her greeting.

"Is someone there?" She asked the silent caller.

"Just checking to make sure it's you kiddo."

"X-" Damian just walked out of his room. "-avier!" She finished quick enough to not notice the addition. "Xavier I am so happy to hear from you!"

"Is someone else in the room?" Red X asked.

"Yeah I am getting on well here. My team and I are really starting to bond." Translation: Yes, they are here with me.

"I see. Listen I know you have a free day tomorrow. I want you to meet me in the park. I'll be sitting on a bench on the trail. Find me."

"That should work. Maybe on the next day I have off. I already have an idea of what I'm doing tomorrow." Translation: Very possible, but something might come up and we'll have to reschedule.

"What is that?" Red X asked politely going along to complete the translation.

"I'm probably going to go to the park. Maybe some of my team will come too. Lizzy and I will probably hang out." Translation: I doubt I can get away from them, especially Lizzy.

"If that's the case then come there anyway. Go along with anything I do and act like a Titan."

"Of course."

"I happen to find myself watching that match today. I'm glad your team came in before I felt the need to intervene."

"If it's inconvenient for you then shouldn't bother. You probably should've mentioned that to me before!" Translation: You shouldn't risk anything like that, and why did you never inform me of your occupation before? Nightstar had learned about his history during a class meeting where they were told about all uncaught villains.

"Slipped my mind, and I kept my stealing down to necessity's with you, and earned money from a few odd jobs."

"Whatever, I'll see you whenever Xavier. Bye." Nightstar hung up the phone.

"Who was that?" Damian asked.

"A friend of mine." Nightstar answered.

"You know they only allow calls from family or something like that."

Nightstar glanced at him and saw him changed into a sleeveless black jump suit with a silver D stitched onto the left breast of the dark suit. The only thing really remaining of the Robin suit was the yellow belt and grey metal boots.

"He's the closet thing I have at the moment. I like that your being original by the way."

Damian smiled. "Yeah, I did feel outdated in that suit."

Nightstar laughed. "It is good to carry on a legacy though."

_And I swear I will carry on my Mother's legacy._

WWWWWWW

"Come on Nightstar, you, Damian, and Ezekiel can't just sit around out here?" Lizzy continued pestering them to be active.

The whole team was at the park enjoying the cool November weather. They each wore a light jacket, except Ezekiel who continued to wear his usual leather and cape outfit. Nightstar, Ezekiel, and Damian were sitting on the blanket they brought with them, while Lizzy was standing trying to convince them to do something.

"You guys are so boring!" Lizzy whined. Then she tried a new tactic. "Nightstar, how about we go walk around for a bit? I need some serious girl talk right now you know? Please!" She begged.

Nightstar laughed at Lizzy's constant boredom with them. "Alright I'll come." She got up and went with Lizzy towards the trails. She was only slightly worried about what Red X would do if he was there waiting for them.

"I'm glad to have a day off for once." Lizzy commented.

"I kind of prefer the classes it makes me feel like I'm earned a place here, instead of being a slacker all my life."

"What makes you think that?" Lizzy asked. They enter onto the trails and were in the cover of woods now.

"I just think everyone here has done something while I haven't done anything substantial yet." A lot of the other kids bragged about their rescues before entering the academy. "In the place on that registration form, where they ask what you've done mine is blank. I haven't done anything for anyone yet."

"Don't beat yourself up. You'll do something. Just being at this academy is something." Lizzy wondered if their Father had kept her from doing anything important yet.

_Although it is likely were not related by blood. Father is the one that created her, but he probably used other DNA. She was probably the first one he started using DNA besides his own in the conception process, though the half human part is likely. _Lizzy examined her sister and inferred her Father had used human genes to make her more blend in easily on earth. _Her eyes and starbolts are the only give away. She messed up during the last bit of that match, but she doesn't seem concerned._

Lizzy escaped from her analysis of Nightstar to listen to her friend's question.

"What have you done Lizzy? You must've done something before this."

Lizzy's mood immediately darkened when Nightstar asked that. She suspected Nightstar might have asked that intentionally to piss her off. _Calm, answer her calmly. _Lizzy chanted to herself.

"There is something worse than doing nothing to help anyone. It's failing at helping people who really need your help." Lizzy said darkly revealing buried anger.

"Lizzy, I'm sorry. If that's personal then let's drop it." Nightstar said quickly not wanting to upset her friend.

"No actually, I want to tell you all about it." Lizzy continued angrilly. "My brothers and sisters needed me to save them, to stand up for them. I tried and failed horribly, and now I may never see them again."

They had stopped walking. Nightstar turned to look at Lizzy and saw a little tear escape her usually dry eyes.

"What happened?" Nightstar asked.

Lizzy figured telling would help see the true connection between Nightstar and her Father. "My Father is a very sick man." Lizzy explained. "He sees himself as a man that has captured God's ability to create new things. Mainly he does this by making children with extra abilities. He profits very well by renting us out to other villains." Lizzy looked at Nightstar to see her reaction.

Nightstar looked utterly horrified. "How can he do that?"

"Father feels much pride when his children demonstrate their skills efficiently." Lizzy answered sarcastically. They began walking again now that Lizzy tears had dried up. She continued explaining "When he asks us to commit a crime it is more like an advertisement for other villains to see what we can do. He likes the money we get from being hired more than money my family has stolen."

"Can I ask…why'd you leave them?" Nightstar was most curious about that.

Lizzy laughed for short moment. "It's because of a stupid boy."

"Hmmmm….it sounds like a cute story." Nightstar was almost on the verge of giggling.

"Oh yeah…the guy convinced me with his charms to break away from my family. Then he left me at Titan's academy and I haven't heard from him since." She wasn't crying anymore but talking about him was making her sound glum.

"Wait you mean on the welcoming day?"

"No no, I was here before that, but you have to be 16 to be a student. I had to wait a year before I could enroll."

"Oh….wow he's a jerk."

"Trust me he isn't, just really dumb. He left me note saying I had to stay here to be safe, and that he was going to keep tabs on my family's dealings with other villains to help the Titan's. They get a report from him every few weeks. Other than that I haven't spoken to him in a year."

"Did you tell the Titan's everything you know too?"

"I have to save my siblings. My Father doesn't care about us like he should. If ones of us dies than our DNA can still be used to help influence the genes of another."

"How many siblings do you have? Can they shift too?"

"Not all of them. My Father found a variety of Mothers with different skills. My older sister Felicity is my Father's first wife's daughter, but she died when Felicity was 8. I sometimes think if that woman was still alive my Father wouldn't have begun his experiments with other Mothers, and my twin sister and I would've never been born."

"You have a twin sister? Is she still with your Father?"

"Yeah…I wanted Isabella to come with me, but she stayed. She decided to stay to take care of our younger siblings. Mainly to make sure Father or Felicity didn't do anything to them."

"How many younger siblings do you have?"

"I have seven younger siblings I know of, but by now I'm probably gained a few more."

"It's been a year though? How many would you expect to have by the end of year?"

"My Father impregnates 3-5 women every other year. We hope that when the baby's have been born that 2 of them survived. One year none of the baby's lived past a week."

"That's so cruel."

"That's why I need to stop him. I have a younger sister too, by my same Mother, she was the only other that lived besides me and Isabella. My Mother was pregnant for four more times, but eventually….."

"Eventually?" Nightstar prompted.

Lizzy appeared to be wondering what she was going to say. "The year after her last baby; the day when the Mother's show up in that room waiting for Father to meet them…she wasn't there. We would always go by that room on the day to see the new Mother's…and to see her. She wasn't there. She wasn't going to be a Mother that year."

"Is that the only day you ever saw her?"

"Yeah it was."

"That's so sad."

"Sad? It was humiliating." Lizzy looked more sullen.

"What? How is that embarrassing?"

"…Felicity said my Mother was a bad one. That she gave the impression she was a good one by having twins only to fail for two more years until she finally had my younger sister Penelope. It's embarrassing to have the Mother that can't keep having kids. One Mother was there for five years and gave Father a baby every year. Those siblings have a Mother to be proud of. My other two siblings were miracles for their Mother's but they have the most shame because they couldn't produce any more kids."

"That's horrible! How could you guys…rate your Mother's status's like that?" She found the last part difficult to say.

"That was all we knew about them."

"But…you just….it's-."

"Well well…." A familiar muffled voice drawled. "If it isn't a couple of Titan students I get to play around with."

Nightstar hadn't realized they had reached the bench out of the several on the trail that Red X was sitting on.

"It's Red X!" Lizzy cried. She began to crouch ready to shift.

"What do you want from us?" Nightstar asked going along with what he said over the phone.

"I just want to mess with some of the Titan's students now that they're intruding my space."

"You better leave us alone!" Lizzy threatened.

Red X chuckled. "What's there to be scared of from two students on break?" Lizzy growled angrily at him. "Come on…show me what you got…maybe I'll give you the privilege of saying you had a one on one fight with me."

Lizzy charged angrily. She had a grown a pair of bulls horns oh her head and was ready to impale him.

Red X just stood there and pulled canister from his belt that he sprayed in her face, instantly knocking Lizzy out.

"What the heck?" Nightstar yelled. X disappeared then and popped up behind her before she could react he whispered.

"Let's get away from here." He grabbed hold of her and then they disappeared together to a new location leaving Lizzy unconscious and her other two teammates clueless to the sudden attack.


	13. Proposal at Last

"How's my little girl doing?" Red X asked teasingly.

"Shut up!" Nightstar cried embarrassed. "Everything is fine." She looked away from him annoyed with his sudden spectacle at the park.

"Hmmmm I see." Red X leaned back on the railing of the roof top looking at Nightstar who was leaning against the railing next to him. "I assume that girl back there was Lizzy."

"Yes that was her. Will she be okay?" Nightstar wondered.

"She'll be out of it for awhile, but she's not in any critical state."

"That's good." Nightstar said. "Why did you want to see me?"

Red X stared at her for a second. Nightstar began agreeing with Damian's opinion on the importance of eyes, his mask revealed nothing about his purpose.

"Well I came for an update on what you have been doing. Find out anything interesting?"

She thought for a second before saying that "I think Nightwing is my father."

Red X cocked his head to the side before saying. "Yeah, it could only be him."

"They were close right?" Nightstar wondered.

Red X looked up at the sky thoughtfully. "I'm sure they fell in love at first sight, but things kept them from moving forward for a long time. Made me think I had a chance with your Mom before Robin ever made a move."

"Ewwww! That would be so weird."

"For your information, I proposed to Starfire when I came across her with you in her belly still."

"What? You never told me that story."

"I found her easily. They're had been a price put on her, to be brought in alive, for loads of cash after she ran off. I was interested in this assignment, but for more than just the money. I was curious about what drove her away."

Nightstar asked quietly "Did it have to do with me?"

"Probably" He answered matter-of-factly. "She never told me what she was running from, but it was obvious it placed her and you in great danger."

"How did you find her?"

"She got as far as possible from this city. Made it to Cerulean City and when I found her there she was 5 months pregnant with you. I knew I found her when I saw Robin's old bike that she redid with a little black paint. Anyway I found her working as server in a diner. I approached her at night after her shift was over."

"Mom freaked out right?"

"Basically, she thought I was going to reveal where she was, but I told her I would help. Starfire didn't trust me, but she didn't have another option. Since I found her others were sure to follow, but eventually she thanked me for really making her disappear. I got a place I paid for and let her stay there while I brought in cash to help her."

"When did she thank you?"

"After she gave birth, honestly that whole night was the scariest thing I've ever been through." He paused remembering the rest of the night. "I told her, if she wanted, I would get a real job and marry her. Create an entire new identity for us. Obviously she said no, but she informed me that I was one of the most chivalrous men she ever met. It was nice to hear, but I knew she would always love your Dad the most."

Nightstar smiled. "I wish she could tell me about her and him, and all her adventures too."

"Speaking of that," He began "I haven't come across anything new in her disappearance."

Nightstar looked at him seriously. "No trace of anything?"

"None"

Nightstar looked down and closed her eyes. Tears were trying to leak through. "Why won't she come back?"

"Nightstar, I don't think she left you willingly. You two were separated that day and there was a gap of time that anything could have happened."

Nightstar remained silent rejecting his comforting words. "I just want to go back now." She said apathetically.

Red X frowned, but immediately teleported back to the scene of the attack. Lizzy remained unconscious on the ground, Nightstar sighed and went to help her friend.

"Nightstar don't forget what I said." Red X told her firmly.

Nightstar glared at him, but nodded.

"See you soon kiddo!" Disappearing again he left Nightstar to take care of an unconscious Lizzy.

WWWWWWW

When Damian and Ezekiel saw Nightstar returning supporting Lizzy they stared curiously at them.

"Did something interesting happen to you too?" Damian asked.

Nightstar looked warily at him and said "Yes actually, Red X attacked us for fun."

"What?" Damian shouted. "Why didn't you use your communicator to get us?"

"It was very sudden, and brief." Nightstar explained. "He knocked Lizzy out, but she's fine. I fought him off, and he left soon after. I think he just felt like messing with us."

Damian still looked very angry about it. Nightstar knew he was itching for something more to do than schoolwork.

Lizzy tilt her head up and stuttered out "Whaat interrresting t-th-thing hap-pened hearr?" The gas that knocked her out still made her feel loopy.

"Beast Boy and Raven are engaged." Damian stated.

"What?" Lizzy and Nightstar yelped at the unexpected news.

Damian grinned and told them that they saw them come into the park and Beat Boy proposed right there in the center of the park. Everyone watching applauded when Raven said yes. She even smacked him on the head for causing her to blush faintly. It was a playful hit though, the ones Beast Boy was used to.

_"Things are becoming interesting." Ezekiel said aloud to them._

"Sure is!" Damian agreed. "Our first year here and we get to see a Titan wedding."

WWWWWWW

News of the engagement became excited gossip for all students of the academy, especially since they were all invited to the wedding. It would be taking place on their island with no outside media or reporters present. It was said that Beast Boy and Raven would be going on honeymoon to a small village in Germany or would be renting a private island in the Caribbean.

Beast and Raven's team were especially happy for them and excited for the wedding. Nightwing especially offered many best wishes to the couple. Damian and Nightwing were one day sparing in the gym and spoke briefly of the upcoming wedding.

"Excited" dodging a hit from Nightwing "to be" leap around him "a groomsmen?" Damian asked between pauses.

"Definitily!" Nightwing answered. "My toast with Cyborg" Grabbed hold of Damian's arm "will kill!" Lifting Damian up Nightwing threw him down on the mat.

Damian grunted and took Nightwing's hand to get back up.

"Now," Nightwing began "have you and Lizzy found out anything with that side project I gave you?" Nightwing reached for a beige cloth resting on a chair and wiped off his brow.

"Well Nightstar is vague when it comes to discussing family relations, but she hints that there were issues with her Mother. As for the Father part she claims he was never a part of her life. However she says her Mother left her so it seems Starfire was a part of her life for a while."

Nightwing mulled over that information for a moment. He grabbed his water bottle and took a long drink before speaking. When he did speak it was completely off-topic.

"You know, if I had proposed sooner to her, this might have never happened." He confessed to Damian.

"You were going to propose?"

Nightwing pulled on a leather strap under his neck and showed a little handmade necklace with a diamond ring on the end.

"Tiny fingers" Damian commented noticing the diameter of the ring.

"Yeah…" Nightwing trailed off becoming nostalgic. "Her hands were so delicate."

"You'll get her back man." Damian told him trying to comfort his mentor.

"I know I will."

WWWWWWW

Nightstar was on the computer in her room looking for a dress to rent for the wedding when Lizzy came in and flopped on her bed.

"Hey?" Nightstar said surprised. "Everything okay?"

Lizzy turned onto her back and said "No"

Nightstar minimized the page on the computer and turned towards Lizzy in her chair. "What's wrong?"

"He's coming." Lizzy whined.

"Who?"

"Him! The guy I mentioned the one who brought me here! He's invited to the wedding!"

"Oh…." Nightstar saw what the problem was now. "So this'll be the first time you've actually seen him since he left?"

"Yeah…." Lizzy took the pillow and pressed it to her face mumbling incoherent things into it. When she pulled it off she kept whining "What am I supposed to do?"

Nightstar felt uncomfortable being asked for advice. Having a low key life didn't present her with sisterly relationships often. "Are you still mad at this guy?"

"No, I'm still in love with him, and it sucks!"

"Then….well… Just get ready to make him miss you!" Nightstar ordered.

Lizzy looked at her confused.

"Just dress up and look amazing for this wedding. You should make this guy regret leaving you here. Dance with every guy in sight at the reception, and exclude him. I mean he deserves it!"

Lizzy began grinning and said "Yeah! We are going shopping right now!" Lizzy hopped up and pulled Nightstar out the room with her.

"I was going to rent my dress." Nightstar complained, but Lizzy refused to allow that.

"Oh no! You need a new dress!" Lizzy stopped and leaned to whisper in her ear "Especially one to impress Damian!" She teased.

Nightstar blushed. "I don't like him like that!"

Lizzy giggled. _I almost forget she's an enemy, but maybe she isn't bad. God I hope I don't lose Nightstar she's an awesome friend. _"Let's go!"

WWWWWWWW

Slade watched the process of the wedding anticipating his actions for this event. He considered dressing up for the event, but thought that was silly. However his date would not look right standing next to a man without a tux on.

"How do you like this dress? He asked her while she modeled one in front of the mirror.

"It looks lovely." She said again.

"You love them all, but how will you pick?"

"Pick one for me Slade." She said.

"If you insist, I would go with the one you're wearing right now." The one she was wearing was a pale shiny pink that flowed softly around her. It magnified her rich orange skin and with her red hair tied back in a smooth swirl made her look elegant.

Slade stood behind her in the mirror, resting his hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure everyone will be overjoyed by your reappearance at the wedding Starfire."

WWWWWWWWW

_Lily- I'm sorry I don't update faster. It makes me feel guilty when I get messages to update, but without them I have no motivation. Thanks for sticking with me through this story! Next chapter is the wedding!_


	14. Night Before the Wedding

Titan's island had changed quickly in the following weeks. The black top/ arena for practice combat was made into a dance floor and seating area for the reception. The colors were white and emerald for the wedding. The ceremony would be performed on the roof of Titan's tower.

The ceremony would begin in the early afternoon and the party would begin at dusk. It was the night before the wedding day and everyone was bustling to get ready for it.

Lizzy was busy bothering Nightstar about her hair. "Come on! Let me cut it!" She begged.

"Lizzy…." Nightstar moaned. "I don't want to cut it."

"You know a sort of pixie hair cut would look really cute on you!" Lizzy insisted. "Not super short of course your face is a little too long, but something short and layered would make you look so tough. If it spiked out that would be even more awesome!"

Nightstar grimaced at the thought of losing all her hair, but the image wasn't repulsive. She liked her hair long because she knew her mother had long hair when she was young, but hers required trimming too. "Fine I'll admit I'm overdue for a haircut." She told Lizzy.

"Seriously?" Lizzy squealed. "Yay!" Lizzy dragged her into the bathroom and had her sit on the chair she brought in there too.

"Where are the-?" Nightstar stopped when she saw Lizzy turn her two fingers into a pair of scissors. "Never mind" Lizzy skipped brushing the hair and just began cutting. Her other hand produced another pair of scissors and helped style the mess of hair. Hair was flying all over the bathroom and landing all over the floor.

Nightstar winced and whined when Lizzy unexpectedly pulled to hard on her hair. She was amazed by how much lighter her hair felt as Lizzy continued cutting it off. Lizzy first sliced off an inch of her bangs and Nightstar saw her horrid eyes, but with the removal of hair something else was revealed. A resemblance she never noticed, one her mother didn't pass on, it was her fat-, Nightwing's.

It was almost insane. If she put the mask on she would like the female version of him when he was young. Anyone could see it now that her hair was out of the way.

"Wow…." Lizzy said when she finished her handy work. "You look great!" Her hair ended at her neck now and was shinier in the light then it was before. Her layers poked out in a few places making her hair look spiky.

Nightstar felt uncomfortable seeing the resemblance so pronounced. _Maybe I wasn't afraid of my Mom's eyes; maybe I was afraid of seeing the connection between him and me?_

"It looks…different."

Lizzy smiled in the mirror. "You really shouldn't hide your face so much."_ I wonder if she really trusts me. Her face really is pretty, but where did she get this DNA. No way it's Father's, but she's half human. She looks like….oh my god!_

WWWWWWW

Damian was walking back to his dorm after a quick sparring match with Nightwing. He nearly caught him off-guard which was rare for him. Nightwing was still disappointed with the results of the side project, he wanted results fast and was receiving none.

"Damian!" Who looked up and saw Lizzy rushing down the hallway screeching his name.

"What is it Liz?"

"I think I've made a huge discovery with our project!" she whispered urgently. "I have a potential Father for Nightstar."

"What? Nightwing will want to hear this." He took her arm and pulled her toward where he came from, but she resisted planting her feet on the ground.

"No! You have to hear it first!"

"Why?"

"Look the explanation makes a ton of sense, but I just want to make sure I'm not crazy with this idea." She explained. Damian stared at her and saw she was being serious.

"What is your idea?"

"I think that…Nightwing is the Father." Lizzy told him quietly.

"Are you f****** insane?" He snapped. "I think he would know something like that!" He couldn't say that to Nightwing ever. That idea would upset him very much.

"Listen!" She begged. "Starfire could have run because she was scared!"

"Scared of what? She was a Titan!"

"Starfire was pregnant and vulnerable she could have run for her own safety and Nightstar's!"

"That-!" Damian stopped trying to block out the logic of it. "I can't say that to him! It would kill him!"

"So you would rather suspect of her being an enemy still?" Lizzy shot back at him.

His eyes widened and looked away when he realized he had no response to that. No, he wanted her to be misguided by evil was all, but now she was good? Damian knew he liked that idea better; it made things simpler for him. After all he was very attracted to her and he sensed a chance that she would look his way.

"You actually like her?" Lizzy realized smirking at his expression.

"She's hot." He said bluntly. "That's all there is to it."

Lizzy still smiled. "You should take a look at her right now. I cut her hair."

His eyes popped. "Are you serious, bangs and everything?"

"Yep, that's where I saw it. She looks exactly like Nightwing when he was still Robin, minus the eyes."

He looked dubious. "I'll see if what you saw is legit." He started walking past her and back to their suite. Before entering he wondered if it was bad that he listened to Lizzy's story. That now he was sidetracked by a ridiculous theory. When he opened the door Nightstar's back was to him sitting on the couch with Ezekiel.

"Hey guys." He said cautiously wondering what he would see when she turned.

Ezekiel nodded slightly to the greeting and Nightstar looked over the couch at him.

He sucked in a sharp breath. _Dear God… _Her face was barer than it had ever been since they first met. Her bangs now receded and her hair no longer drooping all over her face hiding the structure. Damian could imagine Robin's mask on her and see exactly what Lizzy described.

"Hey." She said smiling at him. Nightstar flicked her hair back and asked "Like my haircut?"

He swallowed trying to look casual instead of shocked. "It looks good." He said sincerely.

She grinned at him and said thanks and his heart pounded uncomfortably. _Damn it! What the hell am I supposed to do now?_

WWWWWW

Waiting until their two teammates went to bed Lizzy and Damian had a secret meeting in the main room.

"How do we tell Nightwing?" Lizzy asked knowing he would know better than her.

"I don't know." Damian admitted. The situation was stressing him out right away.

"We have to tell him right away!" Lizzy argued. "He wants information like this. We made a major break in the mystery and he needs to know! Especially since…" she paused overcome briefly with emotion. "He has a daughter Damian. A daughter he never knew about and now thinks is a spy."

Damian looked uncomfortable. He was close to Nightwing, but they never had something this personal brought up before. "I'll tell him."

WWWWWW

Nightwing was in his office designated to evidence on Slade. His lifelong enemy had been absent since their last encounter 15 years ago. The mask on the wall still haunted him at night. When Starfire was there when he woke up screaming she could calm him down right away. He didn't wake up screaming anymore; every night when he woke up he would be sweating terribly and be tangled in his sheets.

However now it was always the same dream. Nightwing's greatest fear was discovering that something terrible had happened to Starfire since he last saw her. That day was so stressful for everyone when they recalled it. Something happened, but they never knew what. In his dreams she was lying lifeless in Slade's arms, his mask would be off, and his face would be the skull again grinning at him wickedly.

Nightwing punched the mask and it shattered into eight pieces sliding away as he withdrew his hand.

"Is this a bad time?"

Nightwing looked at Damian who stood in the doorway watching the pieces fall to the ground.

"What do you want Damian?" Nightwing began rubbing his hand that pulsed now after punching the wall.

Damian looked unusually more frightened of him than in previous discussions. "Are you feeling okay?" Nightwing wondered.

"I…uh…Lizzy and I…we…." He began unclearly confusing Nightwing more.

"Spit it out already." Nightwing ordered sensing his limited patience waning.

"We…have a strong idea of who…_Nightstar's" _He had difficulty saying her name "father is."

"Why are you having difficult telling me this?" Nightwing wondered. "I told you to find out as much information as possible."

"I…." Damian began but decided to give him the straight out answer. "It's you." He blurted. 

Nightwing stared at Damian who kept his eyes awkwardly averted. "What did you say?"

"I said that you're her Father." Damian stated looking him directly in the eyes this time.

Nightwing said nothing, but before Damian could notice he was being held against the wall by his throat.

"What the hell are you trying to convince me?" Nightwing snapped. "I couldn't have gotten her pregnant! Were different species! For something like that to happen is-"

"-a one in a million chance." Damian finished his sentence for him. "Nightstar is that chance. Just looking at her you can tell that that's what it is."

His finger tightened on Damian's neck, but Damian didn't try to escape.

"Just look at her." Damian urged him calmly. "You'll see it."

Nightwing threw him to the side and stalked out of the room infuriated by his gall. There was no remote chance that this was true. Starfire would have-.

He paused in the hallway. _Would she have told me? __**No. **__Why? She loved me and trusted me. __**She did love you, but did she truly believe in your faithfulness to her? **__I never-! __**You are plagued with the value of upholding justice. That creates enemies for her to deal with, but you fight them before saving her from the one's that slip through. **__I would have protected her!_ _**Of course, but your anger creates mistakes that you can never fix again.**_

__His epiphany told him how true it could be.

Nightwing looked around him realizing he had moved on his own. Seeing the dorm room near him he realized why he came. This was Damian's dorm, where Nightstar would be sleeping.

Nightwing swallowed and entered their main room. He looked around cautiously seeing that it was empty, but when he looked back at one corner someone was standing there.

Nightwing jumped back, but soon realized it was only the dark mage of this group, Ezekiel.

They stared at each other for a few second before Ezekiel pointed to the door across him in the other corner, then he faded away in the shadows.

_I wonder how much he knows._ Nightwing straightened up and turned to the door Ezekiel had pointed out to him. He approached it slowly not making a single noise, and opened it swiftly not letting the creaks cry out a warning to the one sleeping. When it was closed behind him he looked and saw Nightstar lying under her covers turned away from him. Her dark hair was ruffled and looked shorter than the last time he saw it.

He just stared at her figure for a moment wondering if it was true. _Are you my child?_ He wished to ask. _My daughter. _He felt warmer thinking those words. _Are you-?_

She groaned and turned over while she slept. Nightwing stopped breathing when he saw her face then exposed.

Her hair was spiking out everywhere, and now that her face was clear of the inky hair he could see it. His pale face was edged on her features. Nothing else about her resembled Starfire, except for the eyes, the green eyes he wanted to see so badly again.

Nightwing knelt by his daughter's bedside. "What kept you from me all these years?" He whispered. "Why did Starfire hide you?"

Tension passed over his daughters face. She clutched her sheets more tightly and fidgeted in her sleep.

"Nightmares?" He continued speaking aloud. "Do you always have them?" He felt sad that he didn't know.

"Come back!" Nightstar cried in her sleep. "Mama! Where are you?" A tear fell from her eye, and a tear slipped under Nightwing's mask at the same time.

"I'm sorry." He whispered. "You're suffering, and it's my fault, but we have something in common." He realized bitterly. "She disappeared from both our lives, and every night we wake up from nightmares that leave tears on our faces."

WWWWWWW

_Sorry I didn't update sooner. Fan Fiction was not cooperating with me for awhile, but now I'm back in business! Wedding will be next chapter, and perhaps the return of the lost Titan._


	15. Love

Damian waited outside for Nightwing to come out. He sat against the wall across from his dorm thinking the events over. The silence in the darkened hallway allowed him to ponder freely.

_Nightstar is his daughter. _He declared that as a fact. _I wonder if he'll get angry at me if I said I liked her. Yeah…he'd probably punch me in the face. Ah well…there are other pretty faces here. _

It did not feel true when he thought that. Before he could definitely say that there were other pretty girls than Nightstar, but now that she was free of that dark mane no girl here could compete with her now.

"Especially with her eyes on full display." Damian said to himself.

"Excuse me?" Nightwing asked emerging from the room.

Damian flinched. "Nothing!" He blurted embarrassed to be caught off guard. "How did it go?"

"She was asleep, but I saw what you saw. Nightstar is mine."

"And…you're feeling…?"

"I still need to know what happened to them 15 years ago, why Starfire ran away." Nightwing became thoughtful for a moment. "Slade knew…he knew she was pregnant. That had to be why he attacked the tower, but where did Starfire end up?"

Damian stood up. "Nightwing…if Nightstar came here on her own it doesn't suggest a happy ending."

"No…" Nightwing admitted tonelessly. "It doesn't." Nightwing turned away. "With this new development we need Nightstar's knowledge now."

"To find Starfire?"

"Yes."

"What if she doesn't know anything?" Damian asked him. "How are you going to take her in as your daughter?"

"I don't know Damian." Nightwing said uncomfortably. "The only thing I hope is that she doesn't hate my guts by now."

WWWWWWW

Nightstar pulled on one of Lizzy's curls to make it bounce.

"Don't stretch them out too much!" Lizzy whined. "They're perfect."

"Yeah you look great Liz!" Nightstar had helped Lizzy place curlers in her hair. She even threw a little glitter in to make her hair sparkle.

"I know." Although she was usually arrogant she did not sound as enthused as she would normally be. "None of this will impress him though." She grasped her pale blue dress anxiously.

"He would have to be insane not to notice you."

Lizzy laughed, but then her face became uncomfortable; like she was hiding a truth. "Thing is…if he did it would technically be criminal."

"Excuse me?" Nightstar did not understand what she was saying.

"Well…we met about a year ago. I was 14 years old, and he was undercover as a worker for my Father." Her smile returned remembering when they met. "Back then I didn't talk. I was afraid to. That must be a strange image for you?"

"Yeah" Nightstar admitted viewing Lizzy as a flamboyant personality. "Did he help you with that?"

"He did. He spoke to me casually. When we passed each other some days he would nod or wink. I think he just wanted me to respond to him. One day he passed me a note to meet him alone. It was a huge rule violation, but we both broke it together. At first he just talked, and then I finally said 'thank you' when I came there crying because Felicity was a huge b**** that day. He comforted me and I said thanks."

Nightstar kept quiet and waited to hear the rest.

"He told me he could get me out of that place. Take me somewhere safe where I could help get my siblings away from Father. I wanted to go, but I wanted Isabel to come with me, Penny too. I told her and she looked so shocked about what I had been doing. She told me to forget about it and to never mention it again. I couldn't, so I decided to run away with him."

"Unfortunately…Isabel told Father what I was doing, and he nearly stopped us the night we left. Luckily we got away with our lives. He was hurt though…his arm was bleeding really badly. When we got here they brought him to the infirmary, stitched him up, and loaded him up with drugs."

"Wow…he risked a lot."

"Yeah…he did." Lizzy was close to crying. "I had a crush on him before we got there, but for the most part we were in the friend zone. That night, when he was on the pain meds, he kissed me and he said that I was a very special…to him."

It sounded like a moment out of romance novel until Lizzy destroyed the precious image with the other facts of the past.

"In a second he realized he had said that, and he got crazy and told me to leave. I didn't understand…I was really happy, but he was so angry."

"Why?"

Lizzy sighed. "He was mad at himself mostly I think. Thing is that we can't be together…not now at least." The last part sounded hopeful. "When we met he was 18."

"Oh my God!" Nightstar gasped. "That's like a pedophile!"

"It wasn't like that jeesh! If I was 23 and he was 27 it wouldn't matter would it?"

"How did you not understand? He's an adult!"

"I know that's why it sucks!"

"Lizzy, honestly he's was like the first non-male relative you bonded with. Don't you want to see what other guys are like?"

"No." Lizzy had strong conviction in this matter. "I know he cares about me, and I'll wait to see if it works out someday."

"So…how are you going to approach him tonight?"

"I'll try not to be angry with him. Not flirty either that would be pushing it." The anxiety about seeing him was leaking through Lizzy.

"How about like old friends catching up?" Nightstar suggested.

"That's the safest." Lizzy nodded to that idea, but still seemed unsatisfied with it.

Damian banged on the door three times. "Come on! Your girl talk is dragging out your time in there! Hurry up!"

"Shut up Damian!" The two girls said together exiting the bathroom in a huffy mood.

Damian went in to gel his hair properly while the other three sat outside in the common room waiting for him.

Ezekiel was dressed in a fancier garb than usual. It was not the type expected for wedding however it outdid wedding attire. It was a black silky fabric that shimmered when it caught the light. His torso and arms were covered tightly by the fabric until it reached his legs. It traveled down from his torso making to flaps in the front and back. Under that he wore poofy, black pants and pointed gold shoes.

His face was also wrapped in a black scarf revealing only one of his crystal eyes.

"How do you like Professor Raven getting married Ezekiel?"

_"A union between souls should always be blessed."_

They assumed that meant felt a twinge of happiness for his teacher.

_"I am honored to also perform a dance at the reception."_

Damian was also audible to this unknown bit of information. He returned with a flabbergasted expression similar to Lizzy and Nightstar's.

"You're dancing?" Nightstar wished to confirm he said that and it was not a telepathic glitch.

_"Yes, I alerted to Madame Raven that I was able to perform a rare dance none will have ever seen. She knows of the fabled routine and was eager to have it performed."_

"I'm looking forward to this wedding even more now!" Lizzy exclaimed. "Finished Damian?"

"Uhhh…yeah." Damian adjusted his black tie into position and headed to the door. "Let's head over early and grab seats."

"Wait!" Lizzy cried. "Who is escorting Nightstar and me into the wedding?"

"What are you going on about now? Can't you guys walk yourselves in?"

"Today we are not "guys." She made air quotes while saying this. "We are ladies, and a lady cannot enter a wedding ceremony without an escort."

"Come on!" Damian was becoming annoyed with this new antic. "You two are training to be heroes, and you need a guy to walk you into a wedding?"

"You know she won't give in Damian." Nightstar pointed out sighing. "Lizzy you take Damian, and I'll go with Ezekiel. That okay?" She asked the dark mage.

_"Perfectly fine." _Ezekiel offered his arm which she took. They went out ahead not noticing Damian's distressed face.

"Damian…Damian…Damian." Lizzy shook her head every time she said his name. "I was setting you up to get some time with Nightstar and you blew it."

"Shut up." He shook it off unsuccessfully. "You want me to walk you in or not?"

Lizzy took his arm however continued to aggravate him on the way to the ceremony. "I bet Nightstar will get a lot of offers to dance tonight. I'm sure the boy's will think she'll be even hotter on the dance floor."

"I find it amazing your ability to switch from normal to creepy." He retorted.

"Obviously Nightstar's not missing much if that's how you treat a girl. Please let's just have nice time for once?" She said in a fake whiney voice.

Damian rubbed his brow. _This will be a long wedding._

WWWWWWW

Nightwing was waiting outside Raven's room. He would be the one to walk her down the aisle in another 15 minutes.

He banged on her door. "Are you decent Raven?"

"You can come in now?" Raven called out through the door.

Nightwing entered grinning at Raven. "You look perfect."

Raven blushed slightly. Her dress was white and hugged her closely, and ran smoothly down her body. She chose slippers so she would not appear to be taller than her future husband. She kept her personality in the ensemble with black lace wrapping around her waist.

"Thanks Robin." Raven said realizing after she had called him by his old nickname. "Sorry."

"That's okay. It's your day so I won't get annoyed."

Raven's smile disappeared. "It should have been you and Starfire who got married first." Raven turned and looked in the mirror. "I should have been a bridesmaid first before a bride."

Nightwing came up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Starfire would be upset to hear you say that however I think this is just a symptom of cold feet."

Raven's smiled reappeared. "I am…feeling shy." She admitted. "It feels like today I'm supposed to be extra affectionate, but I just don't think I can without it seeming fake."

"You only have to be affectionate to one person you know." Nightwing reminded.

"True." Raven mused. "Perhaps I should be extra affectionate to creep him out a little?"

Nightwing laughed. "Go for it. You got to keep him guessing." He looked at the clock again to see that time was still with them. He considered telling her the discovery he made last night, but her day already had too many stresses to think of his own.

"You and Beast Boy will be happy together." Nightwing told her firmly clasping her in a hug.

Raven almost shed a tear. "Thank you."

Till the time came to go they stood in silence hugging each other.

"Let's get this Titan wedding started." Nightwing declared leading her to aisle where everyone stood and turned.

Beast Boy held all his focus to Raven who approached him steadily with Nightwing by her side. The bride and groom kept vigilant eye contact while Nightwing's eyes wandered the rows they walked by.

_Where is she? _He saw Damian staring at something other than the procession so he followed that and found Nightstar standing with the dark mage a few rows ahead.

_He's staring at her. _Nightwing saw the meaning behind this quickly. _Great...I just became a parent and I have to deal with boyfriends already. _

That was just a minor thought he pushed away. At the moment he was thinking that it pleased him that Nightstar dressed appropriately. Considering the way Starfire used to dress he was glad the tendency skipped their child.

_If she ever dresses like that…_He did not know what he would do, but the possibility of dealing with that terrified him.

"Do you sir give this woman away?"

Nightwing was brought back to wedding in an instant. "Yes, I do." He backed away taking a seat in the front row.

"Now the couple may exchange their vows." The minister said.

Beast Boy read from a sheet of paper. "Raven…I can think of a million promises I could give you right now, but I want to tell you the ones that are most important for us." His eyes stayed on her without glancing back at the sheet again. "I promise to be with you in conflict and to watch for the hidden dangers. I vow to be truthful and never keep secrets from you. I swear that I will respect you and care for you as my wife." He paused momentarily. "Most of all…I guarantee that you'll never be alone again from this point on." Beast Boy added on one more promise to his list of vows. "And I'll avoid cracking bad jokes as much as I can."

Raven smirked hearing that one then the minister gave her permission to speak.

"Beast Boy…" She did not bring notes. "We made promises when we became a team. Unspoken ones that were always clear to us. We knew to protect one another, to listen to everyone, and to support our friends. I will always have faith in the promises we've made and the ones to come in the future. As your wife I will be considerate of you and support you for as long as I can. I will speak the complete truth to you…very bluntly." She added. "And I will never let you be alone either."

"The vows are exchanged!" The minister announced. "I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Beast Boy quickly complied. He dipped Raven, and then kissed her.

Everyone applauded wildly for the first Titan wedding. The reception would be the wildest Titan party ever; however uninvited guests were watching until it was their time to arrive.

WWWWWW

_Next chapter will have romantic drama for the young Titan's plus the history behind the Dark Mage, and the arrival of the villains._


	16. When Evil Comes Back

Ezekiel had left Nightstar at their table a few minutes ago to prepare himself for his performance. While he sat alone gathering the energy needed for his routine everyone else was being served their meals for that evening.

He never had a yearning for this realms food, and so ignored all waiters who dared to offer him a snack. Besides the food he enjoyed the wedding more than anyone would know. For him seeing a couple's love being set into stone was a great thing to him, however it brought old memories back to him; his old life when Semira was alive.

He had been an aspiring mage in one of the darkest known cults to the realms. It had been their belief to injure themselves in a way that made them in some way disabled. They practiced this "art" in an obliterated realm where the only thing left was their temple standing alone in eternal darkness.

Ezekiel's choice was to remove his ability to speak and or chant spells orally. What you chose gave you strength in a certain field of magic; his choice gave him prowess in being able to use his mind to will a spell into existence, and to send his spirit away from his body. There were two other options that he had; one he could have removed his limbs which was more common than becoming mute. Those who cut off their arms or legs were ones who took the parts of other beings to develop a stronger limb than his others. The other option was only chosen maybe once every generation, becoming blind to wander the darkness to seek mercy and strength from the goddess of light, Sindel. Once he believed she was only a myth.

However his success in the cult does not explain how he came to the Titan's realm. It all started because he had known a truly pure woman named Semira. A woman he had grown up with, and who was the last to hear him speak with his own tongue. A woman he was told to sacrifice in order to join the high ranks of the cult.

He thought it would be a stranger, a girl he would not know, but they had chosen to kill her to give her pure soul to the god of darkness, Baracus.

Ezekiel refused to slay Semira; claiming he would never give the woman he loved to Baracus.

_"Strike me dead Baracus!" Ezekiel challenged the god stretching his mind for all to hear him. "Semira's soul is too pure for the likes of you!"_

_ But the dark deity replied forcefully to all who heard Ezekiel's proclamation. "Whoever gives me the soul of the woman will be granted the blessings of darkness!" It started a riot within the chambers that separated Ezekiel from Semira, and ended when the head mage struck Semira in the heart with his clawed hand grown from the arm of an imp._

_ "Bless me Baracus! I have slain her!" The man cried smearing his bloodied hand on the altar of Baracus. Then he turned to Ezekiel who had freed himself to hold Semira's lifeless form. "This boy will suffer for smiting our lord!" He was grinning sickly at Ezekiel. "Let's banish him to the darkness to find Sindel! Who has never come even for a man who could cry out to her! This mute will go mad lost stumbling over the remnants of the old world! Bring the boy to me!"_

_ Ezekiel had been pulled away from Semira to have his eyes ripped out by the same hand that took Semira's life. Then he was sent into the shadows of the world to find the mercy of Sindel._

_ Ezekiel thought those who chose to blind themselves to find light again were fools. Now he understood that they were all probably trying to escape the horrors of the cult they had been raised in._

_ "Sindel?" He prayed as he walked forward. "I did not choose this path to find you, but now I see why it is chosen. Please…if you just brought me in your arms when I die I would be happy." He wandered on for a long time; so long he felt he had been reborn from a past life when he saw the light again._

_ A speck of light began to shine at him for awhile. It took him so long to reach the source of the light. _

_ "Sindel?" He wondered._

_ The form that stood within the light was a womanly figure. Though he could never properly describes this being in words. No description could capture her for mortal worship._

_ The words she spoke to him are all he could remember about her apart from the light that emanated from her. "Ezekiel…this journey has purified your soul, but the defiled form you've chosen will forever remain the same. Silence will be with you forever as you decided long ago, however this new purity you've attained must serve me for now on."_

_ "What would you have me do?" He thought aloud to her._

_ She was silent a moment. "The soul of your loved one? She was given to Baracus, correct? I cannot allow her purity to erode away in his hands." Sindel became quiet again. "I show you mercy however I will require you to show no mercy to the mages that cast you out."_

_ "Are you asking me to-?"_

_ "Kill them? Do not trouble yourself with it. The deaths of corrupted one's will not defile your acquired purity. Do this and Semira's soul will remain with you till you die. This is your fate now Ezekiel. Destroy your former family and follow me to a new world. Baracus may rot in this one, but you we will leave him here powerless without his worshipers. Do you understand?"_

_ Ezekiel only asked "Will this save Semira?"_

_ "It will save the both of you."_

_ The rest can be clearly assumed._

"Ezekiel?" Damian patted him on the shoulder. "They just called you to the dance floor."

Ezekiel stood up without a sign of hurrying, and stepped to the middle of the dance floor. Everyone was in there seats waiting for his mysterious routine to begin.

_Here it goes…_ Ezekiel thought to himself.

Ezekiel stood straight and bowed to a yet to be seen partner.

The audience gasped as they see a shimmering light appear before Ezekiel possessing the form of a woman within it. The form that appeared was Semira's, the pure soul he saved before leaving a dead realm.

She bowed back to him, and he fell back onto the floor.

A few people stood up wondering if he had collapsed, but then a new form appeared still bowing back to Semira. It was Ezekiel, his soul, pure and free of the stitches that traced his lips.

_"I present the dance of the souls…." _Ezekiel's image announced moving his lips freely. 

The forms approached each other and began the dance.

At first it was a pleasant dance to watch where they moved freely, playfully like young children, they floated in the air free of earth, but then they separated and were pulled to the earth. They are stuck to the ground unable to touch the air again, instead the wander looking fearfully at the new surroundings; searching for the one they lost. Semira twirls searching for Ezekiel he turns the opposite way every time. They wander seeing the cruelty of the new world until it consumes them and they fade away, but they reappear again floating in heaven as they first began wondering where the other is until they meet again happy, and playful once more.

Ezekiel sat back up after the two souls disappeared. The audience applauded loudly understanding the meaning behind his routine.

"It's perfect for a wedding." Nightstar said to Damian.

"Yeah…." He didn't understand it yet. "Have you seen Lizzy?"

Nightstar looked over where Lizzy stood with a young man away from the tables. They were applauding the dance just performed and commenting to each other about it.

"She's with someone."

Damian followed her eyes. "Oh…she's talking to Luke."

"So that's his name." Nightstar said.

"Did she mention him? He's a freelancer for the Titan's. Helps collect data, and occasionally some undercover work."

"I know how they met. I wonder how there doing right now?"

"What do you mean?" He heard something suspicious in her tone.

"Nothing!" She said a little too quickly.

His eyes narrowed, but he ignored the spasmodic behavior. "He and I worked on a project together for awhile."

"Really? What was that?" Nightstar asked interested.

"Collecting information." Damian said. "Clues involving Starfire's disappearance."

Her face hardened. "Oh? Did you find out anything?"

His tone became more serious. Damian leaned over and said very quietly "You're the first lead I've found so far."

Nightstar stayed calm. "How did you-?"

"Look at yourself." He said. "It's obvious. The only thing that hid you was all that hair. Your eyes made us suspicious, but even then we didn't know you were Nightwing's-."

"Shut it!" Nightstar snapped. She looked around suspiciously. "How many know?"

"Only Nightwing, Lizzy, and I know." He told her. "What happened to Starfire?" He asked.

Nightstar stood up abruptly. "I need the restroom." Damian grabbed her hand.

"Nightstar-!"

She snatched it back and left quickly. _If that jerk follows me I swear…! _

Nightstar hurried back into the tower and went to the nearest bathroom. She closed the lid on the toilet and sat down crying.

_"What happened to Starfire?" Damian's voice followed her._

_ "I don't know…"_

_ "Nightstar!" Red X yelled. "What happened to your Mom?" The scared voice came back to her._

_ "I don't know…"_

_ Then the chorus that would come once everyone knew that she was Starfire's daughter. "WHERE IS STARFIRE?" _

"I DON'T KNOW!" She screamed at the rushing at the mirror breaking it when she smashed her hands against it. "I can't remember…anything!" She sobbed. "We…we went to the park…and I woke up all alone…and I don't know what happened! That's it!"

Nightstar looked at herself in the broken shards that remained on the mirror. "Just admit it…" She told herself. "She's never coming back."

She didn't want to go back to the party. It would be too much cheer for her to handle at that moment. Nightstar sighed. There was another important thing to consider. "My Father knows who I am." The information Damian gave brought new stress. "It's almost too much to handle." She splashed her face with water and exited the bathroom.

"I'm going to bed. I'll deal with all this crap tomorrow." Nightstar went back to her dorm entering the room blindly searching for the light switch. When she returned light into the room a voice spoke to her from the corner in her blind spot.

"Leaving the party early Cinderella?"

Nightstar twirled raising her illuminated hands to attack whatever spoke.

Slade did not flinch at her threatening stance. He chuckled and said "This reminds me of old times with your Father. How he would turn on me with every intention to kill me. I wonder if you could actually finish his job. You have plenty of reasons to despise me as well."

"Who are you?" She aimed her fist at his head.

"I am Slade, your destined Master."

"Like hell I am!" Nightstar whirled a starbolt at his head that he dodged immediately.

"Really? Now Nightstar haven't you hidden from me long enough? Your Mother should have handed you over willingly for all the suffering you caused her."

Nightstar flinched hearing his firm accusation. "What are you talking about?"

"Your Mother chose to protect you. Starfire chose to abandon her friend's to protect a worthless infant. Your existence took her away from her loved ones! She had to survive alone in a world that destroys any with pure intentions. You will be blamed by the Titan's for her disappearance! They will never accept you for your crimes!"

"I didn't do anything!" Nightstar cried.

"Yes, that's exactly what you did the day she left you. You ran away from her angered by her wish to keep you safe. Tired of the suffocating love she gave you. You never deserved any of it! You threw her to the dogs that day when Thorton took her away!"

"What?" She didn't understand any of this. "Who the hell is Thorton?"

"Don't you know anything? He is Lizzie's Father. The one he breeds superior beings. Did you also not know that finding pure blooded aliens makes him very excited? That discovering a Tameranian would be a wonderful thing for him? A useful thing? A perfect being for his Motherhood program?"

"No…" This reminded her of something. Something that happened so long ago….

"Yes…" Slade encouraged. "Remember….what happened…."

_She was alone again…in the woods where it was raining._

_ "I need to find Mommy." Nightstar stood up and found the trail she had wondered away from. She ran on the trail searching for her Mother. The little girl did not see anyone else around here to help her. _

_ "I'm not supposed to talk to strangers anyway…"She kept moving forward and then she began hearing noises. They were the kind she was supposed to be away from since it sounded like something bad was happening, but she felt a need to see what was going on._

_ When she turned around the next bend she saw something that terrified her more than anything else. "Mommy…?" She said very quietly. _

_ "Run away!" Her Mother screamed as she tried to break away from an older man's grasp. _

_ "What's that brat doing here? Felicity! We can't have a single witness!" Dr. Thorton commanded._

_ "Yes, Father." A girl that was a few years older than her approached the paralyzed child. "Don't worry kid." She said creepily. "You won't remember that this even happened."_

Nightstar gasped. She had met Lizzie's Father! "He took my Mom away…"

"Yes…that man was a fool. He did not realize I had been after you and your Mother for years. I brought his mistake to light and forced him out of my territory." Slade stepped closer to the stunned girl. "I've been taking care of your Mother since then."

"Where is she?" Nightstar demanded.

"She is watching the festivities from the main room." Slade answered. He let her go past him, and then followed after slowly.

"Mom!" Nightstar ran into the room and saw who she had been missing for nearly 11 years.

Starfire turned and saw her daughter standing in the doorway. "Nightstar?" She held up a pair of opera glasses and looked at her. "It is you." Her voice did not hold the same emotional tone she remembered.

"Mom?" Nightstar was confused by the difference.

Starfire turned back to the window and looked back at the party. "It was a lovely wedding. Raven looked so beautiful."

"Mom? Why aren't you…? Why are you so different?" She was standing next to her Mother who hardly showed a sign of joy.

"Don't you understand Nightstar?" Slade was standing in the room with them now. "Unless you become my apprentice she'll never be the same again. All she be is this weakened shell of her former self who will cry on the inside every day because she can only express herself in such little ways."

"She hid me because she didn't want me to be your apprentice!"

"Nightstar…did you know your Father was once my apprentice? No? Well even then Starfire never lost faith that he was on their side the whole time. Wouldn't it be better if she could hope for your return then to revert into a useless vegetable?"

Nightstar looked at her Mother who was smiling down at the party. _She wants to be back with them, and then she'll be herself again._

"How will she be normal again?" Nightstar asked.

"I made her this way with the help of Thorton. His daughter can turn anyone insane. I will have Felicity return her to her normal state. Isn't that right?"

More people filed into the room. The first to enter was Felicity followed by her Father. Then in came others who Nightstar did not recognize, some seemed too young to be here, but then she saw one who with an uncanny resemblance to Lizzy, as did the little girl who walked with her.

"Are you Lizzie's sisters?"

The older girl stared at Nightstar and made no answer.

Felicity was touching Starfire's forehead. "What will it be? Normal or vegetable?"

Slade gestured to Nightstar. "It's your choice Nightstar. Decide quickly."

Nightstar knew the answer she had to give, but she wanted another option. She wanted to save her Mother however only they could help her, the people who ruined her life.

_Once Mom is better I'll be able to escape. _She told herself. _They won't have anything over my head then. Nothing._

"Nightstar? Answer now!" Slade commanded.

Nightstar looked him right in the eye. "I'll serve you. Just promise to give my Mom back to Nightwing."

WWWWWW

Lizzy felt happy. Luke was with her and had stayed with her for most of that night.

The Titan's had set up a temporary garden around the whole island that everyone could walk through during the party. She and Luke were walking through it now to be in a more quiet setting to talk about the past year.

"What's your assignment been since you left?" Lizzy asked hiding well that she was still bitter about him leaving her.

"I had a side assignment for Nightwing briefly, but my main focus is still watching Thorton's movement."

"Does that mean you'll be in the city for awhile?"

"Yeah…how did you know?"

"Nightwing told me that they were here for some reason." Lizzy told him.

"They are here for some reason. I'm not sure what yet. I'm trying to figure it out." He stared off for a few moments thinking about it.

"Luke?" Lizzy took hold of his arm. "Please don't go in too deep again." She referred to when he had taken her away. "I'm sure my Father won't hesitate to kill merely for prides sake."

"I'll be fine Lizzy. I'm not going to make any mistakes."

"That doesn't matter!" Lizzy stopped walking and looked straight at him. "He's going to try and hurt you no matter what! Just to get back at me for being disobedient."

He stared at her very intently for a moment. "Lizzy? Can you promise me something?"

Her eyes widened. "Yes…?"

"If your Father threatens to kill me don't go back to him to save my life."

Lizzy gasped. "What? Luke-!"

"Lizzy I'll never forgive you if don't promise me that. Please?"

"That's just cruel Luke!" Lizzy accused.

"Lizzy I don't want your emotions getting you in trouble."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It's obvious what it means-." He tried to say calmly however she interrupted.

"What? Are you saying I'm just a silly little girl who would die to protect the person she loves?"

"Lizzy-?" He tried to speak again, but now Lizzy was angry.

"Don't worry about it!" She snapped. "I get it. I'm 15 and your 19! It wouldn't work no matter what! Besides why would I protect a guy who left me here without saying goodbye?"

Luke looked mad then and grabbed her arm and pulled her forward. For a brief second she thought he was going to hit her, but then he pulled her into a hug.

Lizzy was confused. "Luke…?"

"Don't realize this is painful for me too?" He sounded tired like he had been holding up a broken floodgate for too long.

"This is pretty painful for me to watch as well." Another voice added.

They both jumped and looked up the path from where they stood together.

"Isabel!" Lizzy cried. "What are you doing here?" She stepped away from Luke.

Isabella didn't answer. Instead behind her back her forefinger grew into a long whip that she whipped out and wrapped around Luke's neck.

"Luke!" Lizzy cried. She knelt by him and tried to break the hold Isabel had.

"Payback!" Isabel answered then as she tightened her hold on Luke. "Let him go Elizabeth! Father promised I could take care of this one!"

"No!" Lizzy yelled back at her. "You come here alone to kill Luke! That's the stupidest plan ever!" She continued to pull to save Luke.

"Oh? I thought our younger siblings were already taking care of everyone else."

Luke made gurgling noises.

"What?" Lizzy was stunned.

"Don't worry. We still need an extra hand!" Isabel said purposely.

Luke made even louder noises and began pointing behind Lizzy. She turned at the worse moment when Felicity touched her head and entered her mind.

_"Don't worry little sister…Father forgives you…"_


End file.
